BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR More Moonlight & MickBeth
by suzee
Summary: A continuation of what happened after the door closed on episode 16, "Sonata," which was more a beginning than an end. Here, Mick and Beth venture beyond friendship to soulmates, as Mick finds healing from his past, love, and a surprising future.
1. Chapter 1

This is my own version of what happened the night the door closed behind Mick and Beth. All characters and references are owned by Moonlight, CBS, Warner Brothers and Silver Productions. In no way am I attempting to infringe upon the copyrights--my only intention is entertainment relating to Moonlight!

This story is rated NC-17. No minors should be reading this or any other fanfiction which is written for adults. Please respect this rating.

"Moonlight" built a beautiful love story over 16 episodes, and just as it finally began in earnest, the show was pulled, leaving us fans to our imagination as to how this love story might have ended. This is from my imagination--my Mick and Beth are completely in love and totally committed to each other. I have, in all cases, tried to remain faithful to the Moonlight vampire mythology, which differs from other vampire mythology. My story begins at the last line in "Sonata."

**BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR**

**CHAPTER ONE - "Because I love you."**

I looked into his eyes and saw that it was true—finally the words held inside for so long were out there between us, and it was up to me to accept his love or reject it. I saw hope, anguish, desperation, and such unabashed love on his beautiful face. Just a moment ago, I had assumed I had lost him. Now here he was back again, wearing his heart on his sleeve, waiting to see if I cherished it or trampled it to bits. In his face I saw not only the man I loved and needed, but I saw my future, my home, my soft place to fall. I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even move for a moment; much less say what was in my heart, which was literally screaming "I LOVE YOU TOO!" I'd tell him! But right now I simply felt the need to be in his arms.

Mick watched her as the words hit her--should he have said it? He wondered as she hesitated momentarily, and as she moved toward him, he felt nothing but elation. At last! Beth! As her arms came up around his neck and he bent to kiss her, he felt his world finally righting. All he had ever really wanted was her, and here she was, taking him into her arms! All he could do was thank God and the Universe that she hadn't told him to leave!

My body seemed to move on its own, closing the space between us until I was so close to him that I could see my own eyes in his, each of us reflecting back to the other the depth of emotion behind the words. I reached for him, standing on my toes while pulling his head down to mine, feeling a rush of love, relief and joy as I at last put my lips on his, my eyes closing, finally stepping through the door, leaving behind denial and entering the realm of bliss.

Sweet relief--that's how it felt at first, and then I felt the undeniable 'thing' that had always been between us flooding over us, carrying us along in its wake, causing our kisses to deepen as we hungrily gave and received what we craved. It was a kiss of such sweet surrender--and now that he had said the words, I felt safe melting into him, cherishing him, loving him back.

Oh, God! Kissing him like this--I felt my knees getting weak! I reached around his neck and pulled him even closer, needing the feel of him solidly against me, holding him tightly while our mouths expressed our joy at being here at this place in time; the beginning of "us." Mick returned my kisses, giving back not only the sweetness of the moment, but adding a hint of urgency.

I was so caught up in the emotion of it all, loving the intensity of his kiss! I slipped my left arm inside of his coat, grasping him tightly, holding onto him, my anchor, and OH! how good he felt. The silky shirt in my hand, the body underneath, so hard, so appealing, my friend Mick kissing me like a lover! How often lately had I dreamed of him this way, and now here we were, sharing our hearts, knowing this was how our story was meant to begin!

Our kisses became more fervent, lips touching lips, tongue touching tongue, the passion so long kept at bay now becoming a fire inside of us. Mick reached out behind him and in one swift move, shut the door, closing out the world, closing the door on the months of yearning, longing, frustration and fear. He walked me over to the wall and shifted his weight, pulling my leg up at the knee, making our body contact so intimate that I could feel him hard beneath me, through our clothing, as he pressed himself against me, my back solidly against the wall. I was breathing fast and my heart was racing as blood ran from my head, rushing south to the place where I was aching for him. I felt as if I were on fire in his embrace, and even though he was cool to my touch, my lips burned where he touched them with his own and my skin felt as if it were blistering under his touch.

"Beth!"

"What, Mick?" I gasped. He didn't answer, and I accepted his sweet-tasting tongue gladly, both of us sucking, kissing, wet and fervent, our bodies molded together in a very suggestive pose, and as we rubbed and struggled to feel the closeness, we began to dance the first steps of our private dance.

"Beth—MY Beth!" He breathed against my mouth before picking me up in one smooth motion, carrying me as though I weighed no more than a feather, taking me over to the bed, then stopping, watching my face to see if I wanted this to go further. I looked up at him and he smiled.

"I've been waiting for this for so long, Mick! Tell me I'm not dreaming!"

His eyes blazed into mine and he barely whispered, "You're not dreaming, Beth, I'm here, and I want you--so badly."

I could hardly breathe! I shivered and snuggled into him as he held me there. All that mattered to me was that I was in his arms again, safe as when I had been a child, but thank the Lord, I was a child no longer! As he had walked to my bedroom, cradling me against him, I took the liberty of kissing him on his jaw then under it, rubbing my cheek on the stubble I felt there, and I heard him groan softly. I nuzzled and kissed him lightly on his neck, and down to the little dent where his neck met his chest, a place I'd looked at so many times over the past year, a spot that always made me catch my breath with wanting to do just this--kiss him right there!

I was heady with the scent of him—masculine, all Mick, mixed with a slightly smoky smell and the distant aroma of single malt Scotch. He smelled so good that the thought of biting him ran fleetingly through my head! I yearned for more of the taste of him on my tongue! Maybe that was, in small measure, how it felt to be a vampire! The wanting of another, so strongly that to taste was the only way to satiety! I wondered if this desire was, in some small way, what it was like for Mick to be with me now--did he want to bite and taste me?

"Oh, Mick, you smell so good I could just eat you!" I turned bright red as soon as the words were out of my mouth. He just laughed softly.

"The feeling is mutual, my dear!" he said rather lecherously--I was glad he couldn't see me blushing!

I did want him, and I wanted him very badly, I realized. I felt my stomach lurch, and the butterflies really began to tickle my insides! Would this end the way I hoped? Or would Mick be too proper to do this on an impulse without discussing every aspect of the do's and don'ts of vampire love! A second later I felt myself sinking into the thick goose down comforter as he laid me down gently on my bed. Although the room was fairly dark, I could see him clearly, and watched as he slid his arms out of his coat, tossing it onto a nearby chair, then as he practically dove down into the folds of the comforter, facing me, his hand brushing my hair back behind one ear. He sighed and I saw the raw need in his eyes, felt a stab of longing and felt my stomach begin to quiver and quake to the point of shaking strongly enough that I was afraid he would feel it. I should have known he would feel it—he was so sensitive to everything, being that his vampire sensibilities were so highly tuned.

"Sweetheart! Beth! You're shaking! Don't. . .don't be afraid!"

His voice was low and filled with passion. Omigod how I loved his voice! "I want you, Beth--I don't think I've ever wanted a woman more, but his will only happen if you want it to. . ." His eyes bored through me, as though seeing straight into my soul. There was a slight husky quality to his voice that made me melt down even more, and my stomach twitching with the accompanying flutter got even stronger, as I felt a warm spurt of desire down below. I kissed him softly.

"I'm actually aching for you, Mick," I sighed. As I looked at his face, I felt tears suddenly spring to my eyes. How could I have denied myself the love of this man for so long?

I'd been fooling myself by trying to keep it going with Josh; I had to admit now that as soon as I had met Mick, that relationship was essentially over. Now I looked at Mick watching me—my beautiful friend, my BEST friend--whose eyes gazed into me, asking to be more than friends, asking to be my lover, not sure I'd say yes. It was all there in his eyes, and right then I realized I really, truly had never wanted anything more, and that this was the pivotal moment in my life when everything would change. I wanted him desperately in a physical way, but in my heart I knew I loved him more than life, this man this strong, virile vampire, this amazing friend who knew me better than I knew myself, who smiled at me now, a sweet smile that told me he would accept whatever I told him and he would love me no matter what happened. My emotions overwhelmed me.

"Mick. . ." it was all I could say before the tears spilled over, down my cheeks.

"Ohhh, there, now, honey. It's okay Beth—it's just me! He dabbed at my tears with his finger, such a look of understanding and indulgence on his face, knowing me well enough to "get" my tears and not be afraid of a woman crying, and in his eyes, all of the love I had ever craved. I looked at his lips as he spoke again, thinking of how soft they were, how well they fit with my own. I sniffed and smiled tentatively.

"Sorry for the tears." I saw that he wondered if I was too afraid to move on to the next level of our already wonderful relationship.

"You have no need to be scared, Beth; no need to cry--you know I'll take care of you." He was so gentle as he wiped another tear from my cheek with the back of his first finger, the one with the ring, catching a new tear rolling down the other cheek and putting his finger in his mouth. "Mmmm. I love your taste too, Beth, I love everything about you, but I don't want you to be afraid of this--we won't do anything you don't want to do here."

"But. . .I do! I mean, I do want to!" I blurted out, pulling him over to me, pressing myself so close to him that there was no space between us, kissing his neck, the little dent in his chin, his mouth. I heard him groan. He rolled onto his back bringing me with him so I lay on top of his solid body, finally able to feel the glorious full length of his tall frame as I lay on top of him, his contours pressing enticingly against me, my toes coming only to the middle of his calves. This position, however, only served to make the aching need inside of me even more pronounced. I gave in to my baser wants and rubbed myself against him, yearning and unashamed.

He groaned and kissed me deeply.

"OHHHH!" I moaned softly. "Oh, Mick, you feel so good against me!" He pulled my face to his yet again, his kisses deep and soft, wet and intoxicating. This was definitely sensory overload! I was growing lightheaded again from the scent of him, the taste of him on my tongue, the feel of his body beneath me, knowing he loved me and wanted me as much as I wanted him.

He groaned as I kissed him back and took control, sucking hard on his intruding tongue, pushing back with my own, letting him show me with his mouth what he wanted to do with my body. I shivered with anticipation.

"Beth!" he breathed my name into my mouth as his hand gently caressed my breasts through my top. Even with clothing between his skin and mine, I almost couldn't breathe from the close contact, and having him touch me sent currents through me that went all the way down to my toes. My breasts pressed against his chest, and other parts of my body were on high alert, touching him like this. I wanted more, so much more, but I was, for now, loving every second of his large hand rubbing my back, up my neck, into my hair. I sighed and reveled in the sensations going through me.

In one swift move, he reached down and grasped my top, pulling it off over my head before he deftly unhooked my bra, tossing the lacy fabric onto the floor. He hooked me under my arms and pulled me up across his body, then took one breast into his mouth. I drew in a short breath and threw my head back as the waves of pleasure hit me, and I cried out softly. He suckled and lightly kneaded first one breast and then the other until my nipples were hard and swollen, wet from his mouth.

"Ohmigod, Beth! You're so beautiful!"

He then rolled me onto my back and got on top of me, rocking against me, the denim of his jeans stretched tight against his arousal, which pressed into me so intimately that I moaned from the pleasure of feeling him right in the exact spot where I ached so badly for him. I answered his thrusting by rocking my hips so that we were imitating the ancient rhythm we both craved. He moved his lips over my skin, feathering kisses up my stomach, over my breasts, my shoulders, my neck and chin, then my ear. I felt his tongue go inside of my ear, then I shivered as he blew his cool breath onto my wet skin. As I was still shivering, he moved over to lick and then suck on my lower lip. His breathing was ragged, and I was sure he could hear my heart racing. He pulled away so he could speak:

"Beth--how far do you want this to go?" He panted. "It's not going to be very long before I won't be able to stop." His tongue licked his lower lip, as though savoring my taste, which was highly erotic to me and caused me even more tingling sensations.

"Then don't, Mick—don't stop! Haven't we waited for each other long enough?" I grabbed the front of his shirt to pull him once again to my lips. Now we were practically devouring one another, unable able to get enough, unable to kiss deeply enough, touch closely enough to satisfy the overwhelming urge to join. I was so aroused myself that I wondered how long I could last! Not long! Not with Mick!

I began unbuttoning the top button on his shirt, but he stopped me and simply reached out behind him and pulled it off over his head, having to quickly undo the buttons on the cuffs, then tossing it to the floor. With both of us naked to the waist now, I could feel the hairs on his chest tickling my breasts, and my body began to take over for my brain, rocking and rubbing frantically against him. He answered in kind, kissing my mouth as he pushed himself hard against me. I wrapped my legs around him trying to get closer, wanting, needing, throbbing in the places where he touched me. I had never felt desire so strong--I needed this man as much as I needed air and water!

"Mick," I said, voice husky; "I need you inside of me." I looked him straight in the eyes, seeing the desire in him as strong as the need in me. Then once again, I felt the stupid, embarrassing tears welling up. He saw my eyes shining in the light from the street. He stopped the rocking motion and put his arms around me, holding me tightly against him as he rolled us together onto our sides. He held me firmly as I breathed in the sweet scent of his skin.

"I know, Beth. It's okay. It's taken so much effort to get here. I know why you're crying and I love you all the more for it." He held me until the tears stopped, then kissed my eyelids, kissed away my tears. "I know we've been friends for a long time, and honey, this will only enhance that. Please trust me. Can you trust me?"

"Oh, Mick," I said softly. "Of course I trust you! I've never trusted anyone more! You've saved me over and over, and here you are, saving me again because I thought I'd just die without you. When you walked out that door, Oh, God! Mick! I thought I'd lost you forever, but you came back to me, and I LOVE you, Mick. I'll love you for as long as I live."

He sighed and touched my cheek a little smile gracing his beautiful mouth. "There they are. The words I've been dying to hear from you! Do you honestly love me Beth? Don't say the words unless you mean them because you will kill me!"

"I mean them, oh Mick, I love you! I do! My God! I LOVE you so much!"

"That works for me," he sighed before kissing me hard, then pushing off of the bed. I heard his feet softly hit the floor, then watched as he bent down and I felt his fingers slide inside the waistband of my jeans. He slowly unzipped me, looking me in the eyes, as if waiting for me to stop him, but that I couldn't do. He slowly pulled my jeans down, over my belly, his eyes still locked on my eyes, then he pulled them down over my hips as I lifted myself up, allowing him to keep going. When he got to the point of pulling them down my legs and off, his eyes finally left mine to look at what he was doing. I heard him toss them onto the floor, my socks followed in a second, sailing through the air before landing somewhere!. He stopped then, and I watched as his eyes raked hungrily over my body. Even in the dark, I could see the desire in them shining, glazed over as he reached a hand out to remove the one last small scrap of lace still covering me. He exhaled audibly as he reached for my flimsy little panties. In one very fast move, he had them off, sending them sailing through the air to the floor, where they would join the rest of our scattered clothing. I silently thanked the Universe that I hadn't chosen this day to wear the big, cotton panties my aunt always insisted on giving me every Christmas!

I now lay naked before him, and I felt the trembling begin again, but noticed that he seemed to have stopped breathing! With my stomach doing its flutter-twitch again, I put my hands over my belly to try to stop it. His eyes took in my nude body from my head to my feet, and even though I knew he had seen me naked before, that was when I was tripped out on Black Crystal, not lying on my bed waiting for him to make love to me! I felt very vulnerable and terribly aroused. I saw that his eyes were smoldering with passion, and felt giddy with love and lust. I could see clearly that he wanted me-- that was obvious. But I wanted him back just as badly.

"I need you, Mick! See? I'm shaking from wanting you! I've never felt like this before! Maybe it's that I've never truly loved anyone else before you." I was puzzled by the trembling, which was spreading throughout my entire body.

"Do you think that's true? Beth! Is that true?" He wanted it to be so. I heard it in his voice.

"It must be, Mick. Look at me shaking! I feel like some virginal teen-ager! Silly, right?" I tried to smile, but it was a lame attempt. The tears came back once again and choked me and I had to catch my breath. Mick stood at watched me, such a tender look on his face.

He leaned over me on the bed, an arm on each side of me, his face directly above mine. "No, not silly at all Beth," he said in that low, sexy voice I loved to hear. "I want to be your first—the first man to truly make love to you. You must know that I've loved you for a very long time--maybe you're shaking in anticipation because I intend to love you very thoroughly! I'm sure you've never had anyone like me before because no other man could possibly love you more than I do."

A scary thought went through my head. What was it about never sleeping with your best friend because if it all went wrong, you'd lose your friend! Mick must have seen fear in my eyes.

"What's wrong, Beth?"

"I'm just being afraid of losing you because we've been friends for a long time, and Mick, I can't lose you as a friend! What if this doesn't work? What if the sex is no good?"

He looked at me sideways with a look that said, 'not possible.'

"Do you want this to work? Beth--do you want ME?"

"I've never wanted anything more!"

"Then we'll be great." He kissed me and rose off of the bed again. He looked down at his own hands and said, "Look! I'm shaking too!" He held his hands out in front of him and they were trembling slightly. "I want you to know—you are more than just an 'intense affair!' You're all I've ever wanted." He stopped, then took an audible breath. I felt he was getting control of his emotions. I wanted to go touch him, but waited.

"You see, I'm offering my whole self to you—all that I am, and I hope you're doing the same for me. This is a big deal, Beth! I don't just want your body, I want YOU!"

I smiled up at him and he smiled down at me. We both knew he was right. Our world was about to tilt on its axis. He looked me over again slowly, stopping and catching his breath when he got to the place where my blond curls hid my secrets. I heard him slide out of his boots, and he bent, probably to remove his socks. The only clothing between us now was one pair of jeans and his belt, which he was now unbuckling.

"I don't mean to keep repeating myself, but honestly, Beth, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!" he said, his hand slowly reaching down, unzipping his jeans, then pushing them down, letting them fall to the floor, stepping out of them and standing naked before me, his legs spread just slightly, his arms out as if asking me 'what do you think?'

I felt my breath catch hard in my throat. He was as perfectly formed as a man could be—a model for the perfect Adam—broad at the shoulders, muscular arms, his taught stomach tapering to his waist, the slight curve of his hips, the thick, dark burst of pubic hair surrounding a very large, very obvious erection; his legs beautifully muscular, his feet beyond where I could see from my place on the bed, but I knew they were long and strong, and as beautiful as the rest of his body. The angels must have wept to see this particular act of creation!

"You're absolutely stunning, Mick," I said breathlessly. "I love the way you look--you look like a dark angel." He smiled shyly. "I should say, a dark avenging angel with sword drawn, ready to strike!"

His head bent back as he laughed. "I guess we make a pair, then, Beth--you look like the angel of light." Then he got serious again. "Are you afraid? Beth?" he asked nervously. "Am I too big for you?"

He seemed genuinely concerned, and I let the air out of my lungs forcefully. I held my arms open and he quickly dove on top of me, burying his face in my hair, smelling me, tasting me, kissing me, loving me with his hands and his mouth. He licked my tears with the tip of his tongue. "You're crying again, Sweetheart--are you okay? Are you sure you're not afraid? Tell me you're okay!"

I laughed through my tears to see him look so stricken. "I'm wonderful," I choked out, clutching his arm. "I don't know why I keep crying! It's so embarrassing!"

"Oh, no, no Beth! Don't be embarrassed! Those tears are for me—you want me as much as I want you. This is a life-changing moment for both of us. Beth, honey, I want you to know that I haven't done this all that much, considering how old I am! I guess you need to know that is much more than sex to me--I'm in love with you—only you, Beth, and you might think this is bad timing, but I have to say this. . ." he stopped and looked at me as though he were afraid to continue.

I waited, wondering what was so important that he had to say it now. I was acutely aware of where exactly our bodies were touching, and I felt myself growing ever more damp with desire as the minutes ticked by. "What is it, Mick?" I asked softly as I lightly touched his face with my hand.

"Well," he began, "you know I'm kind of 'old school' as far as how I think and act sometimes. I guess this is one of those times, so bear with me. I hope this won't make you mad." He looked at me, then looked down. I began to worry. What was he talking about?

"Say it, Mick. You can say anything to me. Remember? We're best friends who fell in love. Don't ever be afraid to tell me anything, okay?"

"I do love you--so much," he said huskily, and I noticed that his eyes were shining a little too brightly to be passed off as mere passion. He looked up, sniffed, cleared his throat, and took control of his raw emotions. Then he said something very softly in his sweet, low voice, "I want to marry you Beth. I want to be with you for as long as we have together."

I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Oh, God! I felt as though I was melting. Was this possible? How could he be sure? I felt like I needed air. I felt Mick tense up against me.

"What, Beth! Are you all right? Your heart—it's beating so fast! Am I a fool for saying that? I'm sorry, honey—forget I said it. I'm just—I'm so. . ."

"Why, Mick? Why do you want to marry me? I'm human! I'll get old! I'll die! And besides—we still don't know if the sex will be any good!" That made him grin. I could tell, he wasn't at all worried!

"I don't care, Beth. I want to be your husband. I want to live with you, I want to be the one you come to when you're happy or sad—I want to be your lover and still be your best friend. I want all of that, but if you want time to think. . ."

I looked at the sincerity in his eyes. Once again, he was just putting his heart out there for me to trample on. Oh, God I loved this man!

"No, Mick—I don't need time. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I can't imagine my life without you. I accept. I'll marry you. I LOVE you! God help me, but I love you so much!"

He wrapped his arms tightly around me and took a deep, choking breath against my neck. I thought he might cry, but he got a hold of himself.

"Oh, thank God, Beth. Thank God. Now I'm going to do what any good husband should do—I'm going to make love to you all night long, and I will try very hard not to hurt you." I felt his hand sliding down over my shivery stomach, shivering all the more from his touch. I gasped with pleasure when I felt his hand cupping me, finding me wet and ready, dipping one finger inside of me, which caused me rock and groan with need and desire, rising up, pressing myself fully into his large, capable hand.

"Please, don't be careful!," I managed to say through gasps of wonder at his touch. "Don't worry about hurting me! Hurt me, Mick! Please! I don't care! I need you so much--I feel so empty and I need you to fill me! I'm aching for you, that's how much I need you! Oh, please!" I was begging for mercy, and I had absolutely no shame at this point.

He smiled with his eyes as his hands stayed busy. "Here? Is this where you ache, my love?" he said as a second finger slid into me. I pushed myself hard against his hand and started breathing in choppy little breaths.

"Yes, oh, yes, Mick—I need you there! I need you now!" I closed my eyes, letting the sensations flood through me. I still couldn't believe I was on my bed, naked, with the man I loved more than life, and he was doing these things to me as if he knew exactly where to touch me. "AH!" I nearly shouted. "Oh, don't stop, Mick. OH!. . ." I tried to catch myself so I wouldn't just make him deaf. I tried to breathe in and out, evenly.

"Right where I want you," he said under his breath, half chuckling. "You're so hot and wet and you're begging for me—I guess I need to take care of you."

"You do! Please Mick!" I felt desperate and needy. I did need him to take care of me--and soon. I felt him gently spread my legs apart, exposing me completely to him. I shivered and closed my eyes again, waiting, hoping he would hurry. Suddenly my body bucked up off of the bed--it was as if an electric current had hit me, and his tongue was on me, pressing hard right at my most tender spot, right where I needed it to be. I sucked in my breath as his fingers began moving back and forth inside of me, his tongue flicking and then pressing down on my swollen, needy flesh. It took all of two seconds before I felt myself begin to fall over the edge of want into the bliss, and as I moaned and writhed against his hand and his relentless tongue, tickling and pressing, I thought I might die from the sheer delight that spread like warm fingers all through me.

I let the intensity of the orgasm take me in waves as he finished me off with a hard press of his tongue. In a moment, I felt him moving up my body, kissing my belly, up, up, kissing my breasts once more, and before I had even stopped moaning from the first wave, I felt him push himself inside of me, inch by lovely inch, filling me with his hard flesh until he was all the way inside of me and I had him completely surrounded. Then he stopped. He stopped! I opened my eyes in surprise.

"Is that okay, sweetheart?" he whispered. "Am I hurting you at all?"

I answered him quickly by pushing my hips at him, which took him by surprise, but in a second he was into the rhythm, thrusting in and out of me, both of us murmuring, breathing hard, kissing through ragged breaths. I met him thrust for thrust, and felt the tension build again as he pushed so hard inside of me that I could literally feel him bumping against my insides! It felt wonderful! I'd never felt like this before! "AHHHHHHH!" I caught myself again. "Ah, ah, ah, uh!"

"There you go, sweetheart--just let go. . ." he said gently.

I clutched his upper arms to keep from being pushed over the side of the bed, since we were lying on it crossways, and then with one of his thrusts, I felt him twist in a slight half-turn inside of me, and suddenly I was over the edge again. I didn't even recognize the sound coming from inside of me, from a place so deep down that I couldn't have stopped it if I'd tried! It was the next thing to a primal scream.

"OHHHHHHHH! Ahhhhh! OmiGOD! Mick! Oh, MICK!"

"Oh, I love hearing you, I love that I can make you come--let yourself go, Beth, it's just you and me here, honey, so don't hold anything back. . ."

I clutched his arms even harder as I moaned under him, reveling in the sensory delight. He kept on pushing inside of me, and I thought the pleasure might never stop! I had enough sensibility to recognize that I had never EVER been with a lover who could make me feel like this, and I fell all the more in love with this man who was showing me what truly loving someone was like!

"Omigod!" I screamed, as I gave up trying to be quiet. My moans were strong and loud enough to wake the neighbors, but I could care less. I was flying and I felt as if I may never land! I became aware of Mick, even though I was still spasming around him, still swamped by sheer pleasure, but I felt him tensing up. I heard him take in a huge breath, as he drew back, then heard him let out a low groan that grew in intensity as he lost himself in me, his thrusts becoming even stronger, and I held onto his arms tightly as I watched his own orgasm overtake him. He looked so breathtakingly beautiful, his head thrown back, and his groans so deep and so ragged they could well have been coming from a--well--a vampire! Watching him like this made me feel so overwhelmed by the intensity of what I was feeling physically and emotionally, that once again, I was falling into the chasm of endless delight, joining with him, our cries blending together as our bodies gave and took, and as he pummeled my flesh with his own, our voices blended in the most primitive of harmonies.

I was so caught up in my own pleasure that I was paying no attention at all to whether he was going go "vamp" on me—I couldn't open my eyes—I couldn't move, I was paralyzed for several seconds by the sheer, intense pleasure, feeling as though I was nailed to the mattress, and I allowed the last of the crested waves to simply roll through me. I felt completely limp, yet tingly and still so, very hot.

Still trying to catch my breath, I gazed up at my lover and saw his beautiful face hovering right over mine, his vampire-glazed eyes looking right through me, his mouth open, fangs showing, lost in his own world of completion, moaning, still thrusting powerfully, so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes from his face as he took his pleasure in me.

Without warning, he bent his head and I felt his sharp teeth prick my upper arm. It didn't hurt; in fact, much to my surprise, pleasure shot through me, and I began to come again, but this time was different; this one hit me so hard, it literally crashed through me with such intensity that I couldn't breathe, couldn't make a sound, and as he bit me, he kept thrusting, rock-hard, back and forth, a battering, satisfying rhythm of completion. I took in a huge gulp of air, and cried out, and as I was all but overcome by my own pleasure, he took his own once again, and our moans and groans became once again our own unique music sung to the gods of ecstasy.

When at last it was over, he licked my arm several times, sending shivers up and down my body, then he collapsed on top of me, his weight pinning me to the soft bed. He was still inside of me, and I wrapped my legs as far around his waist as I could, squeezing him, holding him close, cradling his head with my hands as it lay on my chest, loving the feel of him breathing in and out, feeling as though I had just touched heaven. We stayed that way for several minutes, coming down from the mountain we had climbed together, enjoying the slow slide from the peak to the stillness and peace of solid ground that comes from loving someone so completely. I thought how different this was from anything I had ever felt before. I knew that somehow the lines which separated me from him had blurred during our lovemaking, and I felt forever changed, forever bonded, forever part of HIM.

I kissed the top of his head. "I love you," I whispered into his hair.

"I adore you," he whispered back, spent and happy. We were quiet a minute longer, then he pulled out and rolled over onto his back, lying spread-eagled. I lay sprawled out next to him. He groaned once more, then turned his head to face me, and we simply watched each other as our breathing slowed down to a more normal rate. He had an unreadable look on his face; I wondered what he was thinking.

"I don't know what just happened here, Beth, but that is not like anything I've experienced before."

"What? What do you mean?" I felt myself blush slightly as I said, "I noticed—you came twice—is that unusual?"

He let out a short laugh. "I guess it's not unheard of—maybe unusual for men who aren't making love to their fantasy woman! That's not what I'm talking about, though." He blew out a long breath.

My curiosity piqued, I rose up onto one elbow, looking at him, my strong, handsome lover lying beside me, naked and so abjectly gorgeous! He was still awfully large, I thought to myself, even now in this post-coital state of bliss. I smiled and wondered how this miracle had come into my life just when I thought maybe it was all over! How amazing life was!

"So—what DO you mean, Mick?"

"I don't know, Beth. It felt like I. . .this sounds crazy, but I felt like I ejaculated. I know that's impossible, but. . .can you tell? Am I imagining it? I haven't come like that—so strongly, ever—in my life!" He stopped, caught a breath and blew it out hard. He looked at me with a funny grin. "Oh, and by the way, Beth, the sex? It wasn't bad at all." He gave me that half-smile as he looked at me with that sideways look he had that made my stomach quiver again. I smiled back.

"Yeah, it was--all right, Mick." My grin told him otherwise. The sex had been earth-shattering and we both knew it!

I punched him lightly in the arm, then put my fingers down where he had just taken his leave of me. I was wet, of course, very wet, in fact, but I had been extremely aroused before we even had our clothes off--still-- I sniffed my fingers. I looked at him and he at me.

"You came, my dear, and you left something behind. It smells like semen to me!"

His one eyebrow went up. He rolled over and sniffed my fingers, which I held out to him.

"Oh, man! That is not possible! Beth, I swear—this is not even within the realm of possibilities for a vampire!"

"I thought you said that vampires didn't. . ."

"We DON'T! Beth! We can't! This is impossible!" He blew out a breath and turned his face away from me.

"Well, maybe it isn't semen, but. . ."

"It's semen. I haven't smelled that smell after sex for over thirty years, but that's it. It's completely impossible, but that is it." He said this definitively. My vampire mobile lab.

"Well, if it's so impossible, how did it happen?"

"I DON'T KNOW! My gosh, Beth! I didn't want to put you in this position!"

"What position is that, Mick?" I reached over and took his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. "I think we've been in about sixteen different positions in the past twenty minutes, and all of them were good—what could be wrong?"

"You're mid-cycle, right? I can smell that much. Your hormones have shifted. I can tell—you're probably ovulating."

"My God, Mick! How do you know THAT!?" My eyes were wide open now.

He turned to me, a sick, sad look on his face. "I've been your friend now for—what—going on a year? And I'm a vampire—I smell estrogen, I smell progesterone. I know you, and you are mid-cycle. You could get pregnant if _that_, he nodded at my fingers, is what it seems to be." He stared at my hand with a pained expression on his face.

I squeezed his hand. "Then please explain just how--_that _could be what it seems to be if vampires can't have kids?"

His eyes searched mine. "It must have happened when I was human. I mean, how else could it happen? How long ago was that?"

"It was a while ago, Mick. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Well, sperm aren't mature right away—it might be long enough since—since I was human—and now—I didn't even think about this! I feel terrible! I didn't mean for this to happen, you have to know that, Beth! I'd never just. . .do this, knowing THAT might happen! At least--not without ASKING you first!"

He looked so upset. What was so bad about it, I wondered? I laid my head on his chest, running my fingers through the fine hair, playing with it.

"Mick, honey, there's no problem here. If it happens, it happens. In fact, I hope it does!"

He rolled me off of him and put his face very close to mine. I could feel his breath on my face, cool and soothing. "You aren't upset? What if you get pregnant? I'm so sorry! I never meant to. . ."

"Mick!" I said softly but firmly. I ran my fingers across his cheek. "This is what you want—a family! If this happens, and that is a big IF, it's not a mistake! It's a miracle!" I smiled at him and I saw the worry leave his face. "Of course, we WILL have some explaining to do to Josef, who won't understand how we 're-wrote the rules of vampire love!'"

Mick laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, that would completely blow his mind, wouldn't it?" He looked into my eyes. I felt myself melting into that gaze.

"Do you mean it, Beth? Do you really mean that--you'd want to have my baby?" He looked so excited.

"Oh, Mick! Are you kidding me? Of course I want your baby! I probably want it as much as you do! What we just did—what I did--I just loved you with my body, but also with all of my heart and soul. Honey, if our loving made a baby, I think it's an amazing, wonderful thing!" I leaned over and kissed him soundly on the lips. Before the kiss was over, I felt his mouth turn up into a smile. I pulled back to gaze into his eyes, smiling back at him.

"You look like a proud daddy already! But we have to wait! It's too soon to assume! Maybe this will work—I hope it does, but Mick, just don't get your hopes up!"

But his smile was ear-to-ear, and I had a feeling he knew something I didn't. Maybe he could smell the event happening inside of me—I didn't know—I didn't care. We'd be together for at least a lifetime, maybe longer—who knew? And if "Elliot" was part of us, that made everything all the sweeter!

We kissed again, long, slow, wet kisses, feeling the heat building up again to fever pitch. Well, if what we'd just done wasn't enough to start a baby, maybe all night long would do it! I pulled him to me and felt our passion once again begin to blaze.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO - "The Morning After"**

I woke up as the dawn's light was coming through the shutters on my window and wondered for a second what was different. I had a sudden flashback to waking up with Josh, but this **wasn't **waking up with Josh. For one thing, I was nude and so was the man I was spooning with, so it wasn't Josh! He always insisted on wearing something to bed in case of a fire! My mind began to clear the cobwebs out and my muscles began to sing a tune I'd never heard before. I was achy and tired on the one hand, yet felt lusciously loose of limb and had a feeling of well-being that was simply indescribable! I had been dreaming of Mick! Suddenly I sat up and looked at the man next to me. I WASN'T DREAMING!

Mick rolled onto his side and looked at me, eyes long-lashed and hooded, irises very dark in this light, and they took me in from head to covers in such a way that I wanted to hide! The slow smile that spread across his face was full of love, lust and satisfied passion. His eyes met mine and I suddenly couldn't breathe again. I looked over his naked form, mostly not covered, sheet and comforter twisted around one leg and in between them. I knew my hair would be standing out like a Medusa and I wanted desperately to make it to the bathroom without having him see me like this. I needed to brush my teeth and my hair in that order. And a shower! As the night came back to me, I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, then spread down my chest to all four corners. I pulled away from his direct gaze, pulled the sheet up over me and half hid my face, sheet pulled up over my knees as I sat here, in my own bed, with Eros, the god of love, who looked only a little tousled in the hair, and looked a whole lot like Mick St. John!

"How did you sleep, Princess Beth?" his voice was low and sleepily seductive. His hand reached over and grabbed one of my feet, still hidden under the sheet. I looked at him, my face still covered, and wished he wouldn't look at me like that, with me looking like THIS! He only smiled broadly and squeezed my foot. "You look like a ravished princess at that! Your Prince must have had quite a night with you! And—are you blushing all over your beautiful body?" He tried to peek under the sheet, but I batted his hand away. "Beth—never, ever be embarrassed in front of me!" He squeezed my foot again and kept looking at me! I wanted to melt!

"I need to go to the ladies' room!" I said abruptly, grabbing the sheet and pulling it from the bed, wrapping it around me as I ran for the bathroom, stifling my strong urge to look back at the bed to see Mick on it in all of his unclothed glory! I tried to shut the door quietly, but it slammed a bit. I sighed and took a lump of toothpaste onto my finger, sucking on its minty coolness. My mouth felt hot and dry, like it had been through some heavy use during the night, and I blushed again as I realized that my mouth had probably never seen so much action since the all-night buffet in Vegas with girlfriends, and that paled in comparison! I looked at myself in the mirror and took in a breath. To my great surprise, I wasn't horrified at all! My hair was unkempt-looking, but in a sort of good way. It was huge, but kind of framed my face in a halo, with wayward tendrils wandering down my shoulders and sticking out rather becomingly in other places. It was my face, though, that really held my attention, for it seemed to have a dewy cast to it, almost glowing in this soft morning light, and my lips, I noted, were quite red and swollen—so much so that it looked as though I'd had something injected into them overnight! OH God! The blush came back full force.

The surprising thing to my critical eye was that I didn't look like Medusa at all—I looked like me, only better somehow, like maybe how a princess would look after a night with the prince of her dreams!. This was amazing! I swished water in my mouth and spit out the toothpaste. Quickie breath freshener, I figured! I then dropped the sheet right onto the floor and quick-stepped over to the toilet. AHH! What a relief THAT was! But I found out quickly that I needed to dab down there very gently with the tissue, since I seemed to be quite exquisitely tender—almost as if something had bruised me inside and out—but of course, that's what happened! I remembered the large battering ram that I had welcomed into me, and not just once, but over and over!

Now in the light of dawn, my head was clearing, and I remembered that my prince and I had pretty much made love up until just a few hours ago, not wishing to stop, not being _able_ to stop, and the memories of all of the murmured endearments, touches, smells, sounds, and wonderful sensations engulfed me! I felt the brush of butterflies in my belly once more, telling me that although I knew better, my body still wanted more!

There was a soft knock on the door. I stood, flushed the john, and went to open it. There stood my prince without a stitch on his glorious body, smiling tenderly at me, having the grace to place his hand on my cheek without looking over my bruised and tender form first. "Beth, are you all right? I'm afraid I may have hurt you last night. . .how are you feeling the morning after?"

I slid my arms around him in a quick motion and pulled him to me. I felt his own arms close around me in like fashion, both of us holding tight.

"I feel like I never want to let go of you." It was a simple statement of fact. If I could just stay in his embrace forever, I knew I'd be blissfully happy! I was aware of the intimacy of our naked embrace, yet it felt safe and warm this morning without the fiery heat of passion that had claimed us all through the night. Now, with both of us sated and happy, it was a simple embrace of two lovers sharing a moment of closeness; intimate, yes, but mostly tender. I sighed and put my head against his strong shoulder, reveling in the feel of his skin. I brushed my cheek against it, then kissed the same spot.

"Mick, I'm beyond words. . .I'm tired and achy, but I have never felt so wonderful!" His arms squeezed me tighter to him, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. We just stayed in that way for a minute or so, neither one of us eager to separate. What had happened between us all night long was simply more than I could have ever imagined, and I wondered if it had been the same for him. I clung to his body, very unwilling to ever let go of him, ever again.

He lifted his head and put one finger under my chin so we were eye-to-eye. "I feel the same, except for the achy part! Beth. . .I never knew two people could simply meld into one like that. . .I'm just. . .like you say. . .there are no words! I'm totally blown away!" I hugged him so hard then that I heard the breath whoosh out of him.

"Did you feel it happen too? My gosh, Mick! I thought I was in some kind of a surreal dream! It was like everything I'd ever needed was there, and you were being the perfect lover, like you knew exactly what I wanted before I could even say anything, and then at some point, I just felt like I kind of lost myself, and I was lost in you--and it wasn't scary or anything, it was just so beautiful!" I blushed slightly. "I know, this sounds really silly to you."

"Not at all, Beth--you are describing my own feelings exactly."

It was hard to explain. "Mick, once Emma told me that when she had first seen Jackson, she felt like she had found "home," and it was safety and longing fulfilled, and finding someone who accepted you for exactly who you were. . .that's how I felt all night long--like I had finally found HOME, and I'd found what I didn't even know I was looking for, and. . ." I touched his face lightly, still locking eyes with him. . ."and what I'd found was you. . .you're who I want--you're "home" to me!"

He kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, my mouth, softly and so gently. "I know, Sweetie, I know exactly what you mean. I lost myself somewhere back there too, and I know there's no going back for me. I have what I need to be content now, and Beth, it's you. I was right before—I _live_ for you. It probably has always been you, and I've had to wait for the time to be right—but it's you I've always needed, wanted, hungered for. Beth, oh, my Beth, I want to be your safe place, and I love how you make me not hate what I am!" He hugged me close and kissed me so sweetly. I wound my fingers through his hair as the kiss deepened. We both pulled back and smiled into each other's eyes.

Mick's saying the word "hunger" made me wonder if he needed to leave. I didn't want him to go anywhere, but I knew he probably needed blood. "Do you need to go home and, ah, you know. . ."

"Beth, you're _with_ me now, so you'll have to get used to saying the words on your mind. You're wondering if I need to feed?"

I nodded.

"I do, especially after last night! Man, you wayward woman! You look so innocent! You are a she-cat! You took a lot out of me, even for a vampire! But I did take a little of your blood, not much. . .did you notice?"

"I felt it, Mick! It wasn't awful! I actually got off on it! My gosh! I couldn't believe it! I can't even believe we're talking about you tasting my blood and pleasure in the same sentence!"

He laughed softly. His eyes were warm and understanding. "I thought you may have been so caught up in your own pleasure that you didn't even notice what I was doing—I hadn't meant to bite you, Beth, but when it came over me so strong, that feeling of emptying myself that time—I had to fill myself again, and I took some of your blood to do that."

"And like I said, I really enjoyed it!" My smile must have reminded him just how MUCH I had enjoyed it.

"Beth, do you remember the "four F's?" I told you about a long time ago when you asked me what changed me into a vampire?"

"Oh, the Four F's of turning into a vampire? Yeah, they were fight, flight, feed and f. . .Oh! And you were definitely doing that, so I guess you would have needed to feed, huh?" We were both laughing now.

"I definitely was, and I did, and now I need to feed some more. What do you say we catch a shower, get you some breakfast, and then head over to my place? You _will_ come with me, won't you? I need some freezer time, and I think you need to sleep." He smiled a shy smile and looked up at me through his long lashes, then took my hands into his, dwarfing them, making me feel small! "I think we could both use sleep! After last night. . ."

"And you couldn't sleep at all, could you?"

"No, but I love watching you dream--I hope I was part of those dreams! I'll never get tired of watching you, Beth, asleep or awake."

He walked over to the shower and adjusted the temperature. "Want to save water and share with me? I promise to soap up your back!" He held up the bar and smiled lecherously.

I smiled. "You're on!"


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE - "Intruders"**

The shower had lasted a little longer than usual, and by the time we were done, the glass doors on my shower stall were pretty much covered in lather, and I can safely say that we washed each other VERY thoroughly! I know a few parts were especially clean—on both of us! By the time we got done, I was starving. As Mick helped me rinse the last of the shampoo out of my hair, he said he'd go down and make me breakfast while I blew my hair dry and got dressed.

"Well, that's an offer I certainly can't refuse! You can COOK? Isn't that kind of a—lost art? Although your chicken that night on the balcony? Wonderful!" I gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.

"I used to consider myself a pretty good cook in my day--I'm just a little out of practice, for obvious reasons, but now that I have a reason to remember what I used to know, I'd like to try it!"

"HA! I'm finding out so much about you! I love it! So a musician who cooks. That's the Mick I've never known?"

"That's the Mick from the past, but I have a feeling that he'll be coming out more and more with you—you make me feel almost human, Beth—you are so special—so wonderful. You do bring out the best in me!"

He stepped out of the shower and grabbed one of my bath sheets. "You first, my slippery vixen!" He dried my hair first, as I dripped onto the soft rug under our feet, and then dried my face and moved down. I felt so loved and cared for! Who knew Mick St. John was a doting lover! When I was dry, I reached for another towel and did the same for him, taking extra care to be sure everything was dry so it wouldn't chafe. He wrapped his towel around him, kissed me and said,

"See you in the kitchen—bring your appetite!"

"I think you've seen my appetite, Mick! I tend to devour things, so make a lot!"

"Got it." He leered at me one more time, then off he sauntered to the bedroom to get his clothes. I loved to watch him stroll around naked, or with onk a towel, and not just because he was so great to look at, but because he had such a casual attitude about his nudity. It was like it was the most natural thing in the world to him! I still tended to want to hide myself, even with him!

I was just beginning to blow my hair dry when I caught his face looking at me in the mirror. The expression in his eyes was still hungry and I felt like bait, standing here in my birthday suit. I smiled shyly at him.

"I thought you were hard at work in the kitchen, Mr. Stalker!"

"I just had to get one more look at you. It's not often a man has access to his own personal goddess, you know. I can hardly tear my eyes away from you—watching you move takes my breath away!"

I snapped a hand towel at him and said, "I appreciate your compliments, my dear, but remember, I'm hungry enough to eat a bear!"

"How about eating me—bare?" He leered again. I laughed.

"Absolutely you, bare, but first, eggs!"

He laughed and turned. He was in jeans only, his Henley in his hands. I peeked out of the door, watching him slip his top on smoothly as he walked to the kitchen. As much as I loved the look of him in those jeans, I had to admit, the skin feast he had let me devour last night was definitely my favorite way to see him!

I didn't bother with much makeup—I was too eager to eat! I pulled on my panties, found my bra between the bed and the wall, slipped on a cotton hoodie and jeans and hot-footed it to my kitchen, where I was greeted with delicious food smells and the even more delicious site of Mick at my stove, flipping an omelet like a pro.

"Wow! I'm impressed!" I said, huge smile on my face, which he returned, then shrugged casually.

"Nothing to it! It's all in the hands!" I was thinking his hands were magic, and not only with the omelet in the pan! I could still imagine how they felt when they were all over my hot, sensitive skin, how they felt in my hair as he kissed my mouth. . .suddenly I was getting hungry all over again, but not to eat.

"Oh, I recognize that look in your eyes, there, Beth, and you ARE going to eat before you talk me into any more hanky-panky!"

"What? You think I. . .?

"Yes, I do think _you._ . .HERE! Orange juice. Drink! It will get your blood sugar up. The toast popped out and I watched him spread butter on two slices as I sipped my juice.

"This tastes fresh-squeezed! I didn't have that in my 'fridge!'"

"No, but you did have some Valencia oranges and I squeezed them myself! Hope I didn't leave any seeds in it!"

"Wonderful, absolutely delicious." He came over and towed me to a chair.

"Sit. Here is coffee, black, the way you like it. One second. . ." He did a graceful pirouet and then he placed the toast on a plate with the omelet, and swished over to the table and set the plate down with a flourish.

"MMMmmm. It smells so good!" I took a big bite of the omelet first, which I noticed, was full of cheese, freshly sautéed mushrooms, onions and chopped up ham. He sat across from me and watched me eat.

"OOOH, Mick, this is great!" He smiled, watching me dive hungrily into the food.

"I used to love omelets. I guess that's how I got good at making them."

"Well, you're good, I'll say that," I said with my mouth full, washing it down with a swig of dark, rich coffee. "For someone who doesn't eat and doesn't drink coffee, you sure are talented at making the perfect meal!" His smile was slow to spread across his face.

"It's been a very, very long time since I've had the opportunity and the pleasure to cook breakfast for someone. I'm loving this, but love it all the more as I'm watching you enjoy it."

I smiled back at him. "I told you you'd get so tired of watching me EAT, and here we are, off to a great start the first morning we're together!" I kept eating, much to his obvious enjoyment.

"And do you remember what I said? About getting tired watching you eat?"

I did remember—perfectly—because I had wondered if it was possible. "You said, 'I hope so.'"

"I did say that—and I meant it then, and I still mean it now." His eyes blazed into mine until I couldn't swallow.

"You're making it hard for me to finish, looking at me like that." I pushed aside the small morsels I hadn't devoured. "Oh well, I'm stuffed! That was REALLY good, Mick! Thank you so much."

"You are so very welcome, my dear," he said, getting up to clear my dishes.

"Let me—I can wash up."

He waved me back. "Just sit and finish your coffee! If you don't mind, I'm just going to rinse these off and leave them for later. Let's get over to my place, if you don't mind. Either that, or I'm going to need a little more blood to keep me upright!"

"Oh—Okay. That's fine, Mick." I finished my coffee and brought him the cup. I kissed his cheek, watching his hands in the sink, thinking again how large and beautiful they were. "I'm going to pack up a little overnight bag really quickly—see you in a sec!" I ran off to my room and threw underwear, a change of clothes, some makeup and shampoo in a little bag, then met him by the door.

"All set?"

"All set."

He opened the door and let me go out first, then took my keys from me and locked my door. Then he took my hand and we walked out to the car. Even the simple act of holding his hand, fingers intertwined, felt so intimate now. I looked at him and smiled; he did the same, and it was one of those secret smiles I've seen people share with each other, but I had never had anyone this close to me before to do the secret smile with. It made me feel warm and tingly and terribly aware of him, our bodies occasionally touching as we walked to his car. He opened my door for me—he was certainly being a gentleman! I guess he still respected me in the morning!

We didn't say much on the drive, but we were tired and content just to be close and alone, and to have a Sunday to enjoy. The weather was beautiful, as it usually was, but seemed even prettier today as we drove up the PCH toward his place. Still holding hands, Mick drove with one arm, giving my hand a squeeze that earned him one back.

"I love this, Beth. I love being with you."

I looked at him in profile. Such beauty! "I love it too, Mick. And I happen to love you as well."

He glanced at me, half smiled, and squeezed my hand again. This degree of intimacy was completely new to me and I just wanted to try to absorb every second of it. It was still so surprising to me—how we had connected! I wondered if this was only new to me? Maybe he'd felt like this before, despite what he had said to me in the throes of passion and right afterward. Ah well. Whatever. I loved this.

"Beth?" He glanced at me quickly, then back at the road.

"Mick?"

"I want you to understand this—I think it's important for you to know. I can see you thinking; in fact, you're thinking so loudly I can almost hear you!"

"I am not!" I looked at him and he smiled slyly at me.

"Yeah, you are. You're wondering if this is usual for me. You're probably wondering if I felt like this with Coraline."

"I'm really not, Mick—I wouldn't pry like that into your personal business."

"Now it's your business too." He shifted in his seat. "I don't want anything in between us, Beth. I want our love to be free and clear of encumbrances we've left behind. That's why I want to tell you this."

I waited. In a few moments, he took a breath and blew it out. I knew that little gesture indicated that he was feeling at least a bit of stress. I squeezed his hand again. "It's okay, Mick. Remember—we're friends." He squeezed back.

He smiled and said, "I'm so glad we ARE friends, Beth! Believe me! This is all so much easier and I feel so much closer to you than anyone I've ever met!" He stalled and I waited.

"Okay, so you're going to tell me more about Coraline. I'm listening." He glanced at me again, and seeing I was fine, he started talking.

"Yeah—I want you to know the whole deal. See, I wanted Coraline. I did want her badly, I guess I've told you—badly enough to think it was love and to ask her to marry me. I was a fool, Beth. She didn't care about me, for one thing. She was flattered that I was crazy about her, but she didn't love me and I didn't love her. Not the way a husband and wife should love each other, at least. It was more of just a physical thing, for me anyway. It was infatuation. It was destructive and it almost killed both of us, and I've hated her for all the years since I married her. Coraline was like death and destruction to me—she was my Angel of Death. It took me a long time to figure that out, but I finally did. Yeah, she was my wife, but in name only. After she turned me, I could barely look her in the eyes. I loathed her, even though I was still drawn to her physically, like she had some kind of power over me. We tried several times to work things out, but it was never meant to be. I can say this truthfully—I wish I had never gone after her. I wish I had never married her. I wish I'd never seen her face."

I was silent for a moment and thought about the whole Coraline ordeal, both from his viewpoint and my own.

"But then you'd have never met me, right? Was it worth what you went through to get to me? Mick? Or would you undo all of it if you could?"

He turned again and our eyes met. There was such love in his, such tenderness. It momentarily choked me up. "I've thought about that too, Beth. I think. . .as hard as my life has been as a vampire, I would let it all happen again just so we could be like this, like we are now. All the pain I've gone through is worth us--right here, right now." Our hands squeezed very tightly as he pulled to the curb in front of his building.

We sat for a moment again. "You, Beth, you're my angel of mercy--you are saving me. In you I've found nothing but acceptance and genuine caring. Coraline only wanted me for what she could turn me into. You--you love me despite what I am! You--don't even seem to care what I am, and I love you so much for that!" He reached over and hugged me to him. "You are a precious gift, Beth. Because of you, I don't hate what I am anymore." I kissed his cheek before he said, "I guess we'd better not keep the valet waiting."

He got out of the car and handed his keys to the valet, then came around and opened my door. He took my hand, pulled me to him right there on the sidewalk in front of God and everyone and kissed me passionately.

"I love you so very much, Mick St. John. Thank you for telling me that. I didn't realize how much I wanted that to be true until just now."

Hand-in-hand we walked to the door, got on the elevator, kissed some more, and soon entered the familiar surroundings of his apartment. He shut the door and kissed me again. "Do you want to just sleep?" he asked, voice husky with desire. My insides felt like jelly when I looked into the depths of those blue-gray eyes, smoldering with lust and love and passion all at the same time.

"Oh, Mick, don't take this wrong, but I think maybe I should sleep!"

"That's okay, honey—it was a very long night last night! Even I'm tired!" He smiled.

"It's not that I don't want you. . ."

"Then what's troubling you? Beth? Look at me—you can tell me, remember? I'm your best friend! You look like something isn't right—what is it?" He asked as he tucked my hair behind my ear—a gesture I was learning meant tenderness. I craved his touch. I didn't want to tell him what was on my mind, though! I blushed again. Darn! Wasn't there a drug to help that?

"Honey? Beth? You're starting to worry me. . .."

I sniffed and looked up again into his eyes. I'd avoided them for the past few seconds, wondering if I could tell him. Ah well! He was my guy! "Like I said, Mick, it's not that I don't want you—I feel like I can't get enough of you—but I can barely walk. I'm really sore!"

His head went back in that cute little gesture he did when he laughed gently, kind of shy and a little like he was embarrassed too. "Oh! I get it! Like I'm Ward Cleaver and I was a little hard on the Beaver last night?"

Now I flushed bright red!

"No—Beth! I'm not making fun! I've got a nice, frozen ice pack in the kitchen. I'm going to wrap it in a towel and we'll ice you down a little bit. Want some wine?"

"Ah, sure—that might help."

"You get the comforter and pillows out of the ottoman while I get the wine and ice in the kitchen, okay? Be right back, and don't you leave!" Smiling, he went about his task.

I opened the ottoman and removed a very soft, sweet-smelling comforter and two pillows. I made up my little bed on the couch. In a second Mick was back, glass of red wine in one hand, ice pack in a towel in the other. I took the wine and sipped. It was wonderful. I felt like I was relaxing already!

"Take off your clothes, Beth—you'll be more comfortable."

"I, ah, okay, maybe just down to my underwear. I wouldn't want Josef to pop in here and catch me naked!"

"You do have a point there. The way he looks at you, I'm afraid he just might jump your bones if he saw you naked!"

He helped me take my top off over my head. I unzipped my jeans, pulled them off, and sat on the couch, taking another big sip of the wine.

"I'll be fine—you go ahead and get to your freezer. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Okay, but you use that ice, right?"

"I will. It will feel good. I'm like just not in shape for the sexual Olympics, I guess!" We both laughed. He sat down next to me and pulled me close. I managed to put the wine down and put both arms around him.

"I love and adore you, Beth. Just come get me if you need anything, okay?"

"I promise. I'm so sleepy—you'll probably wake up before I do!"

"Good. I hope so." He kissed me deeply and sweetly, then rose, holding my hand. "Sweet dreams, my Princess." He let go of my hand and headed for the stairs. As he started climbing them, I sipped more of the wine, watching him go.

"Good-night, my Prince!" I said to myself and swallowed a gulp of the fruity red. Then I saw his feet coming down the stairs again. He leaned over the rail to look at me.

"I heard that, you know." He smiled. "I'll try always to be your Prince Charming, okay?"

I swallowed hard. "That, my Lord, is a deal!"

After he had disappeared, I lay down, letting my head sink into the soft pillows. I placed the ice pack between my legs, covered up with the quilt, and was asleep in about five seconds.

I'm not sure how long I was asleep—It must have been a few hours, because the ice was completely melted when I woke up. It was probably mid-afternoon. I sat up and took another big gulp of the wine. I went to the kitchen and drank water from the tap. I was very thirsty, and it was very cold. I shivered. I missed Mick. I missed him terribly, which was kind of insane, since we had spent exactly one night together so far! But I missed him enough that I went back to the couch, picked up the pillows and comforter and climbed the stairs. I walked down the hall into unfamiliar territory. My time at his place had mostly consisted of staying on the lower level, only coming up here to use his bathroom. At the end of the hallway was a gray door. I opened it, remembering the time he had cautioned me not to go through it. But—now everything was different. And now I saw why he didn't want anyone in this room. It was totally his. Stark, bare, devoid of decorating, devoid of creature comforts. There was a urinal on the wall, which I thought unusual, and a big, glass freezer right in the center of the room. I glanced in and saw him sleeping, naked. My handsome angel, his face so relaxed it almost looked as if he were smiling. I threw the pillows and comforter down on the floor next to the freezer and climbed in. Once again, it took me a few seconds and I was sound asleep.

--

"Are you sure we should just pop in on Mick like this, Josef? What if he's busy? Shouldn't we call or something?"

Josef rolled his eyes and said, "Don't worry, Simone—I pop in on Mick all of the time! I'm telling you—he doesn't mind!"

"Well, if you're sure! What if he's with Beth? I mean, you know, _with_ Beth?"

Josef laughed. They got off the elevator and the doors closed behind them. "First of all, Mick isn't _with_ Beth in that way. I can't imagine why, but he isn't. Besides, she's probably still mad at him about the Emma and Jackson thing. I'm thinking he's up and wondering what to do with himself by now." Josef clicked on the opener button he kept in his pocket, and Mick's heavy door silently swung inward. "Come on—let's just see what he's up to. Maybe we can go out for drinks or something."

They entered and all was totally quiet. Josef sniffed the air.

"Well, Beth has been here recently, if she's not still here. . ."

"Shhhhh! Josef! We don't want to bother them!"

In hushed tones, Josef replied, "Do you see anyone on the couch? No, not a soul. Mick doesn't have a bed. They aren't up to anything, believe me. I'm going upstairs—want to come along?"

Simone only hesitated a second. "Sure—I'd love to see Mick's upstairs!"

Josef made a beeline for the steps, then halted, letting Simone go first. "After you, my lovely!" Up the stairs they went, first looking in the bathroom, then going down the hall. Josef knew that behind the gray door was the freezer room. Mick must still be asleep! At this hour! Dusk had come and gone an hour ago! What was up?

"Josef, maybe we should just go—there's not a sound in here!" Simone whispered in the dark hallway.

"Let me just check to be sure he's okay. You can wait here if you want."

"No, I'm going with you." She grabbed Josef's hand and together they walked past the gray door into the stark room. Josef could see clearly in the dark. There was a pile of blankets and pillows next to the freezer, and a strong scent of Beth. What the hell?

Joseph crept over to the freezer. Yup. Mick was still asleep. He looked at the blankets and almost fell over when he saw Beth curled up in them, sound asleep. Simone came up behind him. "I can't see a thing in here, Josef!"

I woke up suddenly, breathless and scared. It was dark in the room, but I saw a tall, black figure hovering over me. I sat up and screamed really loudly, throwing a pillow at the dark, shadowy form. Inside the freezer, we could all hear the thud of Mick's head hitting the glass, then a string of cussing that would make a sailor blush. I screamed again and threw another pillow.

"I'm getting out of here!" Simone said loudly and ran for the door.

"Who are you! I have a gun!" I said in the most no-nonsense voice I could muster at the moment.

"Hey, settle down, Beth. It's only me, Josef." Just then Mick burst out of the freezer, leapt onto the floor and punched Josef in the face. "Owwwww! Hey, man, stop that!"

"Oh. It's you. Beth, it's only Josef busting in on us UN-announced as usual!"

Josef was rubbing his jaw. "No need for violence, buddy! I was just checking up on you—came to see if you wanted to go out or something. You just scared the crap out of Simone, and we had some good news! I guess we'll be going!"

Mick grabbed his arm as he was turning to leave. "Hey, man, I'm sorry! You took us by surprise! Just—let us get ourselves together here. Let's talk."

"I'll be downstairs with Simone, if she hasn't run halfway to San Francisco by now!" With that, Josef turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Mick got down on the floor and held me against his chest. 'OOOH! He's pretty cold!' I thought, but he still felt and smelled wonderful!

"I am SO sorry for that, Beth! Josef—you were right—he does come barging in here at all hours!" He laughed. "I guess he deserved that punch I gave him!"

"I'll say! I thought we had some sadistic intruder here, hovering over me in the dark! I'm sorry I screamed, but I was terrified!"

Mick hugged me closer to him. "I know, honey. Let's go get some clothes on. You can put on one of my shirts, since your clothes are down there with the intruders, who are most likely slugging down my Scotch!"

"Okay. Let's go. I guess we'd better find out what their good news is." Mick hugged me hard.

"Thanks for taking this so well."

"I'm fine! Just startled!"

"I guess we have a little good news of our own, too, don't we?" Mick stood up, held out a hand for me, and I grasped it as I wondered just what he meant.

"Are we going to tell Josef then? About us?"

"We don't have to, but we will. He can already smell it on us, I'm sure."

Oh! I hadn't thought of that! Vampires! No privacy at all! I said, "Let's get dressed! I think I could use some of that Scotch myself!"

Holding hands, we went to the large walk-in closet where Mick turned on the light to let me see to pick out a shirt. I still had a nagging feeling about what he meant to tell Josef, but there wasn't all that much to tell, except that we were together now. I still wanted to get this straight, though. I turned to Mick, who was buckling his belt.

"You did mean that we're going to tell him about US, right? There's nothing more to tell, is there?" I selected one of the dark dress shirts with the white stripes and put my arms into it, then began to button it. It practically hung down to my knees. "Mick?"

"Yeah, honey. We'll just tell them about us. They don't need to know any more."

I felt suddenly wary. "What more is there to know, Mick?"

"Ah—nothing Beth. Just us. That's news enough for now."

Mick didn't see the look I gave him, but I knew he could feel it. It didn't seem to bother him that I was suspicious.

Mick slipped into a gray Henley and suddenly felt a strange emotion come over him—giddiness! He had to hold back so he wouldn't laugh out loud! When he turned around to face Beth, however, he was back in control, face straight once again.

"All ready? Let's go greet our company properly!" He noticed that Beth eyed him with a look that said she wasn't fooled.

"Okay. Let's go. But later—we talk!"

"Deal."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR - "Announcements"**

Mick and I hurried to put clothes on as Mick worried about the disappearance of his single malt Scotch going on downstairs and I worried that I had only a shirt to wear in front of Josef and Simone—they had probably noticed my discarded jeans and shirt on the sofa. Embarrassing!

Mick started down the stairs, stopped, turned and held out a hand for me. I took it, and we made our first entrance as a couple, greeting Josef and Simone as though they were both invited and expected. The two of them were seated cozily on the couch, sipping their drinks; my clothing, I noticed, had been folded neatly and was sitting on a lamp table. I smiled and went over and hugged Simone.

"So nice to see you, Simone!"

Josef stood for me and kissed my hand! How could I stay mad at such a gentleman?"

"Nice to see you again, Beth" he said, eyes taking in my skimpy apparel. Before I could blush under his gaze, he asked me, "Would you like me to get you a glass of wine? That's what Simone is drinking. . ."

"Sit down, Josef! I'll get the drinks!" Mick said rather shortly. He raised his eyebrow at me.

"Yes, honey, wine will be great." And off he headed toward the kitchen. I noticed he had been right—Josef took a large swallow of the Scotch, which he took "neat," I observed, then set the glass down on a coaster.

"Well, this is certainly a surprise!" I smiled brightly, maybe a little too much so, as I felt my top lip stick to my teeth. Hmmm. Surprise was right.

"We are SO sorry we just walked in on you like that, Mick and Beth! Honestly, Josef assured me it would be okay. . ."

Mick came back into the room carrying a Scotch for himself in one hand, and handing me the deep, rich, red wine in the balloon glass, which he carried in his other hand. I could smell it without putting my nose to the glass, and it had a wonderful bouquet. Mick certainly had great taste in the things he could taste!

"Well, I should be used to Josef showing up unannounced by now." Mick looked at Josef and something passed between them that only they could understand. Mick took a gulp of his Scotch; I couldn't help myself as I watched his Adam's apple move up and down, along with the powerful muscles of his neck contracting as he swallowed. Why was it that such a simple thing like swallowing made me want to jump into his lap? My gosh, I was smitten! Happily so, too! I still couldn't believe this perfect man was all mine! I plopped unceremoniously into a chair before my knees gave out, as Mick sat down in the chair next to me, crossing one leg over the other. I tried to keep my knees together. It seemed that every time I chanced a glance at Josef, he was eyeing me in a way that just made me squeeze my knees together even more tightly! Friend or no friend, he had a one-track mind, and I didn't want any trouble!

"So, Josef, might I ask about this 'news' you wanted to share with us? Has something happened that I don't know about?"

Josef looked at Simone, and smiled at her. She smiled back at him quite radiantly, I noticed. She looked at us and said expressively, in pure Simone fashion, "Well, Josef and I have decided to move in together!" Then she leaned over and kissed Josef on the cheek. I looked at Mick, who wore a bland expression.

"Congratulations, both of you," he said in a very unemotional voice. "When did you decide to take this grand leap of faith?"

Simone gushed, "It was just last night—we talked it over and it seemed to feel right. Josef has so much room—there was no question that I would move in with him, not him in with me!"

Josef looked at both of us and smiled. "Simone seems to think we might as well be under one roof, since she's decided on taking the big step. . ."

Mick tensed up noticeably. I reached over and put a hand on his arm. "What do you mean, Josef?" he inquired pointedly. "You're not going to. . ."

"Turn her? Well, yes, that's the plan." Simone smiled tentatively at Josef and he patted her arm. "She's convinced it's what she wants, and I love her, so, it's the next logical step."

Mick stood up and looked at Simone. "Do you understand what you're doing, Simone? You're giving up your humanity!"

Simone looked at Mick, an uncomfortable expression on her face. "Yes, Mick, we've talked it over—many times—it's truly what I want for us." She looked at Josef. "I want to be with him forever, you see, and this way—I can be." She wrinkled her nose at Josef, who had a love-struck look on his face as he simply smiled stupidly back at her.

Mick was still angry. He looked at Simone. "Do you realize all that you're giving up? You're giving up having children! You're giving up life as you know it—your family, your friends—that all has to change, you know, once they catch on to the fact that you aren't getting older and they are! And no more turkey dinners at Thanksgiving! Have you really thought this through?" He now looked at Josef, obviously upset. "Have you really explained all of this in exquisite detail? The fact that you will probably have to keep moving around so people don't suspect you? Have you honestly told her everything she is giving up? Have you my friend?"

Josef merely looked at Mick, not saying anything.

"And what about you, Josef? No more source of that 'liquid refreshment' you love so much! If you turn her, man, that's all over!" I saw Josef wince, but still he remained silent. "Is Simone okay with your freshies coming over for 'happy hour?' as you like to refer to it? Josef! Tell me you aren't going to do this!"

Mick was really getting mad now. I sat silently, knowing this was totally between the two of them, and Simone and I should just stay out of it. Simone was looking down into her glass of wine, probably thinking the same thing I was thinking.

Josef stood and faced off with Mick. He held up one of his hands in a sort of pleading gesture. "Hey, buddy—I was hoping you'd be happy for me. We wanted to tell you together because we thought you'd celebrate with us! I should have known better!"

"What do you mean by that? I want to be happy for you—I just can't be sure you've both thought this thing through!" Mick and Josef eyed each other for a moment. Then Josef broke the silence. In a quiet, controlled voice, he spoke:

"Hey, brother, I've finally found someone I want to commit to, and I wanted you to be the first to know." His voice rose a little as he went on. "Don't you see how important that is to me? Do you know how lonely I've been since Sarah? Do you understand in some small corner of your brain how much this will change my life?"

Mick said through his teeth, "Yes, Josef. I do know what this means. I should certainly know about lonely! I'm just not sure you're capable of being what Simone expects or needs."

Josef replied in a low voice that bordered on anger, "That is a low-blow, bro! I'm going to 'go straight' for Simone—no more freshies, no more parties, no more of the playboy stuff! That's all in my past. Maybe you doubt my ability to commit, but I'm telling you, man, I love Simone, enough to do this. I guess you can't understand that, seeing as how you hate so much what you are and you can never commit to anyone!"

He turned his back on Mick and me and looked at his lady love, who smiled at him, blinked and nodded her approval of what he had said. He reached for her hand and she stood, looking him lovingly in the eyes. I could see how much she did love him. For all of Josef's quirks and faults, I couldn't say she was wrong to love him. I loved him too, as Mick's best and dearest friend.

Mick still stood, looking like he was ready to pounce on Josef. I wanted to diffuse the stand-off, so I reached for his hand. He clasped it firmly in his. He looked at me, and I nodded toward the two lovebirds, silently asking him, "are you going to say something nice now?" He blew out a breath and nodded back to me. Inwardly, I exhaled too. This was unpleasant, in more ways than one, since I had thought Mick and I would be the ones to spring good news on Josef and Simone, and now I wondered how they would take it, with me being a human, and with Simone ready to give it up to be a vampire. Would they doubt my love for Mick? Maybe I didn't love him enough? Mick spoke next while I worried.

"Hey, Josef, Simone—I'm sorry. I had no right to go off on you two that way. I can see that you're happy, and that's all I want for my friends, okay? And you're both consenting adults, so I want you to know that I'm going to be supportive in any way I can be. That said, congratulations, and here's to a long, happy life together!" He lifted his glass up, and we all did the same in a toast to the happiness of Josef and Simone. They were all smiles as Mick went over and hugged first Simone, then Josef. Then, keeping one hand on his shoulder, Mick said to his friend, "Hey, be happy, Brother, and I'll always be here for you—you know that."

"I do, Mick. I do." Everyone sat down again, relieved the tension was broken, at least for the moment. We enjoyed about thirty seconds of silence before Josef spoke again.

"So, Mick and Beth! Seems the two of you have some 'splainin' to do!" Josef's eyes were searching both of us out. Mick and I simply looked at each other and smiled. "Ah, did somebody seal a deal here or what?"

"Josef!" Simone punched him lightly in the arm. "That's pretty nosey and rude!"

"I know—I love nosey and rude, though!" He had a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin on his face, as I felt the color in my face rise under his scrutiny.

Mick cleared his throat, and I suddenly panicked. What was he going to say? Omigosh. I tried to catch his eye, but failed. He began speaking and my heart began to pound hard in my chest. He could at least check THAT out! He had to hear it! He did. His hand reached over again for mine, and enclosed my trembling, icy fingers in his hand, which at this point, was warmer than mine. "Well, Josef—Simone—I have asked Beth to be my wife."

I watched the two of them look first at each other, then at us. Simone beamed and came over to hug us this time. Josef blew out a huge breath and said softly, "Wow."

Simone, however, literally bubbled over with enthusiasm. "Beth! Mick! That's such exciting news! Oh, wow! Congratulations!"

Josef was a bit more subdued, but seemed to be catching his breath again. "Hey, you two, it's meant to be—all my best to both of you." He looked straight at me. "You know you're getting one HELL of a guy, Beth! But he told me a long time ago that he was 'in love' with you, so this is really great! He must have finally let you in on the secret!"

Mick saw the surprise in my face and smiled. "I did tell him that--the day we had our picnic on the beach. Beth, I've loved you for quite a while." He leaned over and kissed me sweetly on the lips. I looked back at Josef just as he was raising his glass in yet another toast.

"Here's to you guys--may you live long and prosper!" He gave us the Vulcan hand sign, then he raised his glass and took an enormous swallow of the Scotch, actually finishing it off in one gulp. The rest of us merely sipped. He was looking at Mick now, raising his eyebrows. "Now, does this mean. . ."

"That I'm going to turn her? No. But I will marry her, Josef. That's what we both want."

"Ah, my friend from the early 20th century. I see!" He smiled at me and winked. I wasn't sure I liked that implication, though what he was thinking was coming out loud and clear. Mick had slept with me, so therefore 'old fashioned Mick' had to make an honest woman out of me! I was a little angry and a lot embarrassed, though I didn't know why. It wasn't like sleeping together was a crime! But under Josef's piercing scrutiny, my blush became almost as red as the wine, I was sure. "So, all must have gone well last night?"

"Okay, Josef, that's enough." Mick said the words in a very no-nonsense manner which made Josef begin to behave himself. Instead of leering at me, he now turned to look at Simone.

"I guess we all want to express our love in different but meaningful ways, that's all, and there's nothing wrong with that!" I did catch him rolling his eyes at Simone, and I felt a little hurt by that. To me, getting married was a huge step! He was acting like I wasn't fully committing myself to Mick because I was staying human! I think Simone sensed my uneasiness.

"Have you set a date yet?" she asked, and I was grateful to her for getting us back onto practical matters. I looked at Mick, and he looked at me.

"We haven't worked out the details yet, but as soon as we do, we'll let you know," he said. "Of course I'd like you to stand up for me, Josef, if you would."

Josef cleared his throat and straightened a non-existent tie. "Of course! I'd consider that an honor! I wouldn't miss watching you two tie the knot!"

"Well, thanks, Josef. This is all pretty new to us, so, ah, we'll make some arrangements and I'll get back to you to be sure you're free."

"I'll be there—count on that. And in return—I need to ask you a favor, Mick my friend." Josef looked at Simone, and she nodded at him. What was this about, I wondered?

Mick looked suddenly wary, and I thought maybe he was aware of something I couldn't discern. He sure didn't look pleased!

"And that would be. . .what, Josef?"

"I want you to be with us when I turn Simone. I want backup in case anything might go wrong."

--

Mick was pacing the floor after they left, back and forth, running his hand through his hair. I wasn't sure what to do—I knew he was pretty upset with Josef for agreeing to turn Simone, but then for him to ask Mick to be there? That was way above and beyond what I thought was Mick's tolerance, keeping in mind how much Mick hated being a vampire, and how terrible his memories were of being turned himself on his wedding night! I sat on the couch and watched him pace. The silence stretched out for at least three or four minutes. He finally broke the silence:

"Beth, how can he ask this of me! He knows how I feel about this!" He looked at me with pain in his eyes. I wanted to comfort him, but knew I couldn't say much about it. Oh well, might as well try!

"I think it's just that he trusts you so much, Mick, and Simone obviously means the world to him!"

"HA! If that were true, how could he even THINK of doing this?"

"I've talked to Simone before, Mick. I really think it was her idea, like Josef said. She really wants to leave her human life behind her and become. . .you know. . .a vampire."

"See? Even YOU can hardly say the word! So how do you feel about this, Beth? You're committing to me—do you want to be turned too?"

"NO! Mick! This has nothing to do with US—this is between Josef and Simone! I think they've made an informed decision! But I don't blame Josef for being scared—I mean, look at what happened to Sarah!"

"That's all the more reason to NOT do this! Why doesn't he see that?"

"Mick—I do understand the wanting to be together forever—I **do**! I mean—I want to be with you forever! I don't want to get old and die in your strong, young arms! Maybe someday I'll want to be turned too! You just have to be more. . . um. . . well. . .maybe you shouldn't judge this too harshly right now. This will probably be right for the two of them."

"I don't know how you can say that, Beth! And the thought of turning you into what I am? It's disgusting to me! I hope you aren't serious about that, because I don't think I could EVER do that to you!"

"And we are not going to talk about it—it's definitely not something we need to decide now—but don't let your own hatred of being a vampire keep you from being a good friend to Josef! He LOVES being a vampire! He's told you that he would never go back, even if he could! And after four hundred years, I think he is just so comfortable with it that he sees no problem at all with Simone joining him!"

I got up off of the couch and went to him. I took his hand. "Mick—let's let this go for now." I looked into his eyes and softly touched his cheek. "I need you to touch me." He looked deep into my eyes, and I saw them change from anger and frustration to that soft look he got just for me. He sighed.

"You're right. **We** are all that matters right now." He pulled me to him and held me in his arms. The feel of his body, the warm scent of his skin so close, his breath in my ear, the way we fit together, with my head under his chin—it all thrilled me and made me tingle with pleasure. After several moments of holding each other close, he lifted his chin from the top of my head, pulled back and looked into my eyes. Our mouths moved instinctively toward each other, meeting gladly, ending in a long, heartfelt, passionate kiss.

"I can think of things I'd much rather do than talk about Josef right now," Mick murmured against my lips.

"Me too, I breathed back at him." We kissed again, bodies pressing tightly together. I put my arms up around his neck as he bent down to me. Sweet bliss soon became more urgent, and once again he swept me up off my feet, ready to carry me to. . . "Mick?" I asked huskily.

"What Sweetheart?" he whispered against my ear.

"Where are you taking me?" I looked up at his face, which took on a kind of funny look.

Silence. "Good question," he said softly.


	5. Chapter 5

"BEHIND THE CLOSED DOOR"

**CHAPTER FIVE - "Honesty"**

Mick held me for a moment, then looked at me and I at him. We both started laughing—this was pretty funny—wanting to make love and not one bed in the whole place! I nuzzled his ear and whispered, "I don't care where you take me, as long as you TAKE me, lover!" I felt him jerk, as though the words hit him physically. He took two steps and laid me on the couch.

"Do you want to do this, honey, or are you still hurting?"

I laughed softly. "I'm still a little tender, but I want you so badly I'm going to start shivering again any second!"

He nodded his head. "Okay. But practically speaking, you haven't eaten since breakfast—are you going to go faint on me? Should we get you something to eat first?"

I put my finger in the little dent in his chin and smiled up at him, all concerned about me. I was touched that he'd think of feeding me before taking his pleasure.

"I don't honestly think I could eat a thing right now, Mick. All I can think about is the taste of you on my tongue. . ."

His eyes started to glaze, then he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. "You know, you're going to drive me crazy, talking like that—I need to get the pillows and blanket--you stay right here—I'll be back in a second!"

I waved at him. "Okay! I'll be here when you get back!"

"Yeah, like I can trust you! Have you ever just stayed where I asked you to stay?"

I heard him chuckle to himself as he took off up the stairs so quickly that he looked like a blur. Definitely a speedy vampire on a mission! In a few seconds he was back with the comforter and pillows I had left on the floor by his freezer. He tucked one pillow under my head and told me to lift up. The other pillow he placed under my hips. I watched as he took off his shirt and jeans and stood before me, his mood obviously in sync with mine!

Kneeling down next to me, he began to slowly unbutton the shirt he'd loaned me, stopping at every button or so to kiss my flushed skin. I simply let him do whatever he would do. I was having a little trouble breathing, not sure if it was due to his amazing mouth on mine or the fact that my heart was practically beating out of my chest! I was reassured by the thought that he knew CPR. My shirt ended up on the floor with Mick's oher clothes, and he gracefully got up onto the couch, straddling me, his eyes searching mine.

"Ah, Beth—finally I have you alone again!" His hand touched my cheek, then he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, then he leaned over and kissed my forehead softly as I let myself relax into the pillow, enjoying the mere wonderful nearness of him, this amazing man, now kissing my cheek, my closed eyelids, my lips, murmuring over and over, "Beth, My Beth! I love you so. . .

My body rose of its own volition, as though trying to close the space between us as he hovered over me, making me pant with wanting. I touched his beautiful face, softly, caressing his cheeks, his chin. Looking into his eyes, glazed with love, lust, and need.

"I love you too, Mick. I don't think it's possible for anyone to love anyone as much as I love you."

His smile was so sweet, and I watched his lips move as he spoke. "You're wrong about that, honey—I love you more."

I shook my head and put a finger over his lips. "No—I love YOU more."

He kissed the my finger on his lips, looked at me directly, filling me with the heat his eyes radiated. "Should we call it a draw? We love each other—very deeply." He took my hand and kissed my palm, licking it lightly, then he put my thumb in his mouth, sucking, before he took it out and sucked each of my fingers in turn. I groaned and writhed under him. I felt wet, hot and limp with desire. His eyes never left mine as he finished with my pinkie finger. "I need you Beth," he said in a very low, soft voice, "I need you right now—"

The way he said it matched the way I felt. By the way he was looking at me, and the way I felt myself responding to him, I was pretty sure this encounter would be fast and furious. After all, we hadn't made love for--hours!

"Me too," I sighed and pulled his face to mine as he found me ready and filled me quickly and with amazing accuracy, causing me to sigh loudly; well, so loudly it might have been bordering on a shout. As soon as he was inside of me, he began to thrust, urgently and at a hurried pace. I met him each time, feeling the pressure build inside of me as he drove me past the point where I was aware of any soreness from last night to the place where I simply connected with _him;_ that magic place that was ours alone. He brought me closer to that place with every thrust of his body, so hard and so powerful against me. I started to whimper, which I thought sounded lame, but I couldn't help myself. He had reduced me down to the level of an invertebrate, a jellyfish, whimpering and quivering under his command. I'd follow him anywhere he took me, and the places he was taking me! "AHHHHHHHHH!" I heard myself say, surprised that it came out of me so unexpectedly--and so LOUDLY!

"Oh, baby, I love to hear the sounds you make when I love you," he said huskily. "Tell me—tell me how you feel—"

"I can't. . .help. . .it! AH! Oh, Mick, oh, yeah! My hips were elevated and he was so deep inside of me that I felt completely inhabited, completely given over to him, so taken by this tide he had swept me up in. I wasn't even aware of what sounds I was making now—only that he was encouraged by hearing them.

"Beth, honey—don't hold back anything—give me all of you—I want all of you! Oh sweetheart!" He was almost savage in his thrusting, and I welcomed it, for I needed the feel of him inside of me more than I needed air or food.

My God! How could I feel this intensely? What was it about this love that made it so. . .

"AHHHHHH!" I was falling, and quickly. "Oh, oh, oh, omigod, oh, omiGOD!" I was over the edge and falling, feeling the strong contractions of my orgasm squeezing him, all of the pleasure washing through me as he pressed in to me, hard and fast, unrelenting, then pushing so powerfully I had to grab the arm of the couch to keep my head from hitting it so hard that my neck would break!

The growl in his throat started low, guttural, like a something hurt deep inside of him, then rose in pitch as the wave swept him along with me. He came powerfully inside of me, causing me to begin to quiver and come with him once again, as together we fell into that state of abandonment of self and into the giving and taking of another that is so complete that it feels almost as though you are freed from the bonds that hold you to earth. The quickness and intensity of the encounter left us both gasping and shuddering, quaking as aftershocks took us back again and then again back to the extreme pleasure our bodies shared.

When at last we floated back to earth, neither of us moved or spoke, not wanting to break the spell. This was beyond us—this was something so extraordinary that I couldn't even think of how I could put it into words. Mick reached down to the floor for the comforter, slid down beside me, throwing the blanket over both of us, and laid his head next to mine on the pillow, still breathing hard, looking at me so intently I dared not blink.

"What WAS that? Beth! This thing between us—it seems to be getting stronger. . ."

He closed his eyes and breathed in and out, struggling for control. I lay there looking at him, wondering myself what this was. This was more than sex! Maybe this was the "intense affair" he spoke of? I didn't know, and I didn't care, as long as I never had to live without it!

I buried my face in his chest, loving the feel of the soft hair on my lips and my face. "I don't know," I whispered almost reverently, "You're older than I am—I thought you'd know—maybe this is how it is to love a vampire?" His arms went tight around me, and he pulled me up so my face was a hair's breadth from his. His eyes looked through me, as if they were looking into my heart. I had no doubt he could do that!

"Honey, I don't want you to think that this has ever happened to me before. I mean, I don't know if you feel it like I do, but it's more than a physical thing—it's like a union of spirits. I don't know! I can't say it right—there are no words, but it's only you. I've never felt the way I feel with you. Not ever."

A chill suddenly hit me and I shivered.

"What is it, Beth?" Oh, how well he could read me!

"Mick—I'm afraid." He held my eyes, and I saw his gaze soften.

"It's nothing to fear, sweet Beth. It's a miracle. I think it means we're just meant to be together—so don't be afraid of it, honey, enjoy it. I'm overwhelmed by this, but I've never felt so--great!" He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Mick—I'm not afraid of IT—whatever IT is—I'm afraid of losing you. I feel like I can't ever go back to how it was before. I feel completely changed in just a day! Now I understand what loss would be—loss—of this—you—Mick—I'd die, I think. You've given me something I just can't live without. I felt the tears threaten to come to the surface and blinked them back."

We held each other tightly. I never wanted to let go. "You'll have me for all of your life—as long as you want me."

"But that's just it! I want you forever, Mick! I can't ever leave you! Not now that I know what it's like to love you!" I knew the implication lay there between us like the proverbial elephant in the room. I was beginning to wonder if I wanted him to "turn" me because I did truly want forever with him. I totally understood now. It took his love to show me how Jackson had felt when he had asked Emma to turn him—how Simone must feel. Maybe this was the part that was "difficult and dangerous?" I didn't know. "Mick?"

He sighed and put his forehead firmly against mine. "Let's just enjoy the moment, and we can figure all of it out later."

"Okay. We can talk sometime. We have lots of time, right?"

"Absolutely. Beth, I'm not going anywhere. Like it or not, I'm WITH you. With you to the end of—whatever is the end, okay? Let's just let it be for now."

"All right. This is enough for me right now Mick. If nothing good ever happened to me again in my life, I'd be grateful for this day."

"Me too," he whispered as he kissed me lightly. "Let's be practical now--I'm thinking you must be starving."

I felt my stomach roll a little. "I probably should eat something, but you don't have food. Want to come over to my place?"

"That would be good. I'll throw some things together. You have to work tomorrow—it would be easier to go to your place."

"Mick?"

"Yes, Beth?"

"Why didn't you bite? I mean, that was pretty fast, but unless I was wrong, it was very—"

"Intense? Yeah, it was that, for sure! He paused for a few seconds. Then quietly he said, "I bit my arm."

"You did what?" I rose up on an elbow to see him better. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"I didn't want to bite up my leather couch and I didn't want to bite you—so I bit my arm." He said it simply and looked at me matter-of-factly.

"Oh. Uh, is it okay now?"

"It's all healed. What, Beth? What's wrong?"

I hung my head and shook it. I didn't want to say anything and I knew I'd cry if I did. I felt the damned tears fill my eyes. Mick picked my head up by the chin to look at me closely. He seemed a bit worried.

"I think—I—wanted—I guess I wanted to feel your. . .I don't know! Mick I don't get this! A week ago I was repulsed to think you would want to taste my blood! I mean, the desert was just—survival!"

He looked at me very intensely. "Was it Beth? Was it just survival? Or was it more?" His low, soothing voice prompted me to feel less upset. I knew we had to have this conversation. As lovers now, it had to be out in the open.

He waited patiently, watching the conflicting emotions inside of me plainly show on my face. He didn't press me, just waited. Stroking my hair.

"It was more," I said, voice catching in my throat. "It was. We both knew something passed between us, you said you knew it, and I knew it too. I didn't want those feelings at the time, and maybe you didn't either, but you're right. You fed on me to survive, and ever since then, I've felt some kind of connection to you that wasn't there before."

"Okay, that makes this easier to talk about—you felt that happen in a situation that wasn't sexual at all. So, what is troubling you now, Beth? Are you feeling angry that I bit my arm instead of you?"

I looked up quickly, seeing those eyes, and I felt I was drowning in the kindness and love and patience I found there. "It's stupid, isn't it? I. . .I somehow feel jealous. . . or like. . ."

"Like by biting my own arm, I was cheating you out of that pleasure that you've experienced now, once in the desert, and again last night. Am I right?"

I felt so silly, but he was so sweet and understanding about this. "Simone told me once that she felt the, the—feeding? She felt it was 'intimate.' That's what she said."

"Okay, and how do YOU feel about it, Beth? How do you really feel now?"

A tear slid down my cheek just then. "I felt left out, Mick, I didn't know you bit yourself! Honestly—I thought it just didn't happen! But I was—waiting for it! I was! And it didn't happen, so I thought, okay! You don't need to bite every time!"

"I don't—only when I can't help myself."

"Okay! So you were feeling that way, and you didn't. . ."

"I didn't, Beth, because we never talked about it. I didn't want to do something you don't like. I only wanted to please you. Honey, that's all I ever want! Just to please you when I love you!" He kissed my cheeks, kissed away my tears. "It's okay, we're new to each other—this way, I mean—we have to say what we want. Tell me what you want, Beth."

I looked into his eyes again, loving the way they caressed me and made me feel that nothing would ever be wrong as long as he looked at me like that.

"Remember? Best friends? You have to tell me, otherwise I won't know what to do."

"I don't want to miss out on anything, Mick. I want everything from you. When you didn't bite me, when I thought maybe you would, I—I don't know—it felt strange, and. . ."

"Just say it, Beth."

"Okay. Mick—Bite me!"

His smile was leering. "You got it! Right now? Or did you want to wait?"

"Ah, we can wait—until next time."

He smiled and kissed my hand, got up, held a hand out for me and I took his, allowing him to pull me to my feet. He embraced me, firmly, our bare skin touching everywhere. I felt like I was both a protected child and a wanton woman at the same time. I smiled up at him. "You feel sooooo good!"

"You too, but first things first. Let's go get you fed!"

He took me to a little place I hadn't known of before. It was Italian. He ordered two glasses of wine for us and I ordered a chicken salad—no garlic.

"You can eat garlic with me, you know." He said with a smirk.

"I know! I didn't want any garlic!"

"It was supposed to be a chicken Caesar salad, Beth—it'll be bland without the garlic!"

I blushed. "Well, okay. Honesty: I don't want to have garlic breath when I kiss you!"

His head bent back in that cute little gesture he did when he laughed. He looked back at me and smiled. "Okay, thank you." He kept smiling at me, melting me. Would I ever get used to having him look at me like that? I hoped not! It made me feel warm all up and down my body. I shivered.

"Are you cold?"

"No—just wondering if I'd ever get used to the way you look at me that makes me feel like I'm melting, and like my insides turn all to jelly."

"Oooooh. I do that to you? Really?" His eyebrow went up and I giggled.

"Really."

"Whew! Well now, that's a power I didn't even know I had!" He smiled again just as the waiter set the wine down in front of us, along with fresh bread and a dipping oil. I tore off a large hunk of the bread, dipping it in the spiced olive oil. I was so hungry. Mick was watching me chew.

"You have no idea the powers you have!" I said, munching happily on the bread. "Wow! I didn't know I was so hungry!"

"I guess you'll have to fill me in, on all of those powers I don't know I have."

I laughed again and shook my head slightly. "I guess maybe I should learn to keep my mouth shut! I'm giving away all of my secrets!" He lifted his glass, and I did so in turn.

"To our secrets, then."

"Yes, may they always be this wonderful!" He smiled and so did I.

We each took a sip. For some reason, the wine tasted a little off.

"Mick, is your wine okay? Mine tastes kind of funny."

"Oh, really? Mine tastes fine. Let me try yours—you might have gotten the last of an opened bottle. Here, try mine."

We exchanged glasses, then looks, then sipped. We both said at the same time in unison, "This tastes exactly the same."

"Maybe I should order something different." I said. "This just tastes sour to me."

Mick hesitated, swirling his wine around, watching it as it lightly coated the sides of his glass. I watched the sparkle of his ring in the soft light. Such beautiful hands. When I raised my head to look at him again, he was scrutinizing me, looking at me with a very piercing gaze.

In a soft but very serious voice he said, "Maybe you shouldn't be ordering wine, Beth."


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX – "Questions"**

I sat stunned, looking at Mick. "Excuse me? What did you just say?"

He looked a little uncomfortable and resettled himself in his chair.

"I just suggested that maybe tonight isn't a good night for wine for you. I mean, you had some when Josef and Simone were over—maybe you've just had enough. . ."

"Oh! What! You think I'm turning into an alcoholic or something? Is that what your vampire sensibilities are telling you Mick?" I was angry, and he was nonplussed.

"Beth! Of course I don't think you have a drinking problem! I'm just saying—"

"You're just telling me not to drink anything. Why?"

He looked over his shoulder, as if he was afraid someone would hear us. "Beth—I'm sorry--order something else if you want to. Maybe you just don't like this stuff—I mean, what we had today back at my place was really good wine! This is pretty—ordinary! By-the-glass. Nothing special! You're palate might be more discerning than mine!"

"And I might also be the Queen of England, but I'm not stupid, Mick!"

"I don't think you're stupid! For the love of. . .Beth! What is this! You're really mad at me!" His eyebrows wrinkled as he gave me a look of bewilderment.

I sat there wondering why I felt mad at him. I looked at him, looking puzzled and concerned, and so at a loss as to what to say to me. That face! I actually began to feel sorry for him!

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Mick." I sighed and played with my bread, picking the crust off and letting it fall onto my plate. "I guess it's just what you said, how you said it. I keep thinking you know something I don't know and you're keeping it from me. So--there it is. Tell me if you're not being totally up front with me, okay? Honesty, remember?" I looked up into his eyes. "We can tell each other anything, right?"

Now he looked sheepish. It looked good on him. "I'm not withholding anything from you Beth—I guess it's wishful thinking on my part!. That's all, I swear." He looked at me and blew a breath out, then held his hands out in a gesture of submission.

"You think I'm pregnant, don't you? That's what this is about?"

His eyes popped open in surprise. He hadn't expected me to be so blunt, obviously.

"Ah, not exactly, Beth, I guess I was kind of _hoping_, when the wine didn't taste right, you know? I mean, a man can always hope!" He looked like a lost puppy and I just wanted to hug him.

"So your mobile vampire lab isn't letting you in on any secrets?"

"Beth. I'd let you know."

"Well, you're the one who told me you could smell my hormones! What happened—you can't smell me anymore?" I was trying to speak in a whisper, but it came out rather loudly.

A salad suddenly appeared in front of me. The waiter gave me a very strange look. I guessed I shouldn't be sitting in a public place asking a handsome man if he could smell me! I started to turn a little red, thanked the waiter, and looked back at Mick with a look that said, "Huh?"

Mick still looked uncomfortable. "Of course I can smell you!" he whispered loudly. "You smell wonderful to me! I could eat your scent for dessert! I just can't be your early detection pregnancy test! You'd know better than I would--I have no clue. How do you feel, Beth? That's more telling. Do you feel any different physically?"

"Right now I've kind of lost my appetite. . ."

"Well—there you go."

"It means NOTHING, Mick. It's probably because I'm irritated with you and I don't want to be, so what do you mean, 'there you go?' Is this significant?"

"There you go—you've lost your appetite. Maybe it means something—maybe it doesn't. What do you want me to say, Beth? What do you want me to say?"

I began to rummage through my purse. I found what I was looking for and took it out.

Mick looked concerned. "What is that?"

He was looking at my little mending kit that I always carried with me in case of emergencies. "You'll see," I said as I opened up the little snap. I pulled the needle out and jabbed my finger, watching as the blood came out in a little bubble that began to run down my finger. I reached across the table and held out my bleeding finger. "Here's blood, Mick—can you tell me anything from this?"

"I doubt it, Beth! I haven't taken the Bloodhound course on pregnancy hormones!" He looked at me warily, then reached for my hand, pulling it toward him, sniffing my finger. His eyes changed from wary to something else. "Ah, Beth, you do torture me—you smell so sweet! I think I'm the one who's starving now!" He eyed my salad, then smiled at me.

"Well? What's the verdict? Am I pregnant?"

"I wish I could tell you, sweetheart, but it's too early to know. I do appreciate the appetizer, though," he said as he stuck the tip of my finger into his mouth, sucking it, making my stomach flutter and contract. When it had been sufficiently cleaned off, he pulled it out, pressed a kiss onto my palm, and said, "thanks—that was really good." His eyes were dark and smoky-looking. I almost wondered if he'd go vamp on me at a public restaurant.

I pulled my hand back. "Oh, I should have known you'd make light of this!"

"Beth! You'd be about 24 hours pregnant! Even I'm not THAT good!"

I smiled and took a bite of salad. "Well, I think you ARE that good!" I smiled as I chewed. "You will let me know if you catch a whiff of something, right?"

"Absolutely."

We got back to my place, and Mick opened the door for me, carrying his duffel bag over one shoulder, ushering me inside with his other hand. I flipped on a lamp. "Make yourself at home, Mick. What do you want?"

He smiled. "Well you, for one, but I guess I should put some things in your refrigerator."

I led him into the kitchen and moved some things around in the refrigerator. "Here—is the meat drawer big enough? I don't really need it."

"That's great. Now I could use a glass."

We were both a tiny bit uncomfortable. His blood in my refrigerator, drinking it out of my glasses. Merging our lives was interesting--more than just having an extra toothbrush in the bathroom, I thought! I pointed up to a cupboard. "Glasses up there—do you want anything else?"

"No, I'll be fine. Hey—do you mind if I use your computer?"

"Oh, not at all—I'll set it up for you so you have your own log-on and password. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I left him to do whatever he needed to do, and set up the computer. I checked out what was happening on BuzzWire, but no big news tonight! Mick strolled in and put his hands on my shoulders, then began to massage, gently at first, then more firmly. I groaned under his touch. "Oooh. That feels great!"

He massaged me for a few more minutes, then said, "I'll continue the full body massage a little later, if you'd like that?"

I groaned again and kissed him. "Oh, the things you do for my body! Go ahead and get your computer time in—I'm going to just clean up the kitchen a little. I'm really tired, too!" We exchanged looks that said it all—we had both been missing a LOT of sleep lately!

"I think we should get to bed early. . ."

I kissed him on the mouth. "That is definitely a date!"

I woke up the next morning in a tangle of arms and legs and sheets and blankets. Mick was actually sleeping! I hardly dared to breathe. I just watched him, so peaceful in slumber, his angel face only inches from my eyes. I had actually slept last night too, in spite of the time we had spent making love, maybe three times? Four? I couldn't remember, but the memory flashes were lovely. Mick's long eyelashes began to flutter, then his eyes opened reluctantly, squinting at me, focusing on my face. I got to watch as he came to full consciousness, causing a big smile break out that lit his beautiful face up from the inside out. He reached over and touched the tip of my nose with the tip of his finger.

"Good morning, Sunshine," I said softly, touching his cheek. He picked up my hand and kissed it.

"Good morning, love of my life!"

"Good comeback!" I laughed. "How did I live before you?" I thought out loud. His eyes got serious.

"I don't know how both of us denied ourselves this happiness for so long—I'm just so grateful that the denial is over and we're finally together, right where we belong."

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I have to get up. I have to pee really, really bad!" I shoved off the bed, grabbed my robe and hurried to the bathroom. Sure enough! I was very tender again! No time for ice, though. I turned on the shower and let it warm up for a minute while I brushed my teeth. Then I stepped in, and almost screamed. Mick was in there! "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? How did you get in here?"

"Just used my crafty vampire abilities, my dear. I'm just glad you didn't have that nasty mace in your hand. . ."

"Yeah! It's probably only a matter of time!" My heart slowed down a little, then sped up again as he began the slow process of soaping me up, and when I was all full of lather, I started on him, and then he washed my hair, and pretty soon, it became a very long shower. Very long.

Mick was at the computer when I came out of the bedroom, dressed and ready to leave for work. I halted a minute, just watching him work. He looked so good right there, at my desk, in my place. I walked over and kissed him good-bye. "Will you still be here when I come home?"

He turned around to speak to me. "I think maybe you should come to my place tonight. I'm going to have a surprise for you!"

"But the bed is here, Mick—"

"Well, we can always come back here, but come to my place first, okay? I want to make you some dinner."

"You don't need to cook for me! That's too much of a good thing, Mick! You don't even eat!"

"But I love to cook—when I have a reason."

I smiled. He looked so cute sitting at my computer. "Okay! You talked me into it! I'll see you around six then." I kissed him again, hating to leave, but tore myself away and left. I thought about him all the way to work.

Talbot noticed something as soon as I walked into the office.

"Well, well! What's been going on with my favorite employee? Beth—you look—different somehow--is it your hair?  
Did you do something different to it?"

I smiled and shrugged, "No, didn't do a thing to my hair, Ben. I did have a great weekend, though!"

"Oh? Anything you'd care to share?"

"Maybe later." I picked up a stack of papers from the basket, which was bulging from a busy weekend. "I'll start looking up the priors on these guys." He looked at me with a kind of perplexed scrutiny I wasn't used to.

"Okay. That's good. Come talk to me when you're done with that. Gosh, Beth, you just look great today!"

I smiled broadly and went to work.

The day dragged. The coffee maker was on the blink—I couldn't even stand the smell of what was coming out of that thing! Talbot kept me in his office for at least an hour, talking about a case, but mostly looking at me sideways, as though he suspected ME of some heinous crime! Well, maybe some of the things Mick and I were doing over the weekend were against the law, but Talbot didn't need to know about it! I couldn't wait to get out of there, and that was unusual. I loved my new job! Talbot was a great boss. I was just really off my stride today, and besides, my stomach lurched every time I thought of going home to Mick St. John!

I thought about him all the way back to his place, too. I thought about his face, his smile, his eyes when he looked at me, the way his hands felt on my skin, the way his lips felt on my mouth, the way. . .Oh, wow! I just went through a stop sign! I'd better keep my thoughts on driving! But Mick was SO distracting! I had a strange feeling like I had somehow hit a cosmic jackpot and I'd never be the same again. I pulled into his outdoor parking space, since his car was in the underground lot. He'd given me an opener to his door, but it felt strange in my hand—everything felt so strange now, like going up to his loft in the same elevator that last week was HIS elevator, and now I guessed it was mine as well. I stood outside his door, hesitating before I pushed the button. It felt somehow odd to have such easy access to him like this! I felt like I should knock! My stomach was fluttering.

Inside the door, Mick watched her on his wall monitor as she paused in front of his door. He smiled. Of course she'd be feeling a little strange about this—it was all so new—then he saw her push the button that opened the door. As she walked in, he was there waiting, arms open. She stepped right into them. She was home.

Mick hugged me for several minutes. Of course, I hugged him back! Just knowing he was mine gave me such a feeling of security, the likes of which I had never known before. I wouldn't be able to put it into words, but I loved it so much that I didn't care how long we stayed in the doorway, clutching and cuddling. I loved how my head fit right under his chin, and how he let that beautiful chin rest on the top of my head while he just held me close.

"Mick," I murmured against his chest, "I really don't ever want to let go of you, and I'm serious. This could be real trouble for both of us, since we have to work, and since I don't think I can stop touching you for even a second! I missed you all day long! I don't want to miss you like that tomorrow! How do I get over this feeling that I just need to be with you every minute of th day? Am I really crazy? Maybe you're involved with a woman who's completely insane!"

I felt him laugh into my hair as he continued to hold me close. "I feel exactly the same, Beth, and believe it or not, there is a remedy. . ."

"Oh? There's a remedy for loving somebody too much? Please tell me—as long as it doesn't involve splitting up!"

"Far from that, my Beth. In the 'old days,' couples in love resolved this problem by going on what's called a 'honeymoon.'"

I stayed very still in his arms and listened.

He continued. "You see, that way, after a nice, long honeymoon, where they could escape from the world for a week or two and be with each other every minute of the day, the hope was that they would be able to get enough of each other so that when they went back to their normal lives, they weren't constantly obsessed with just getting through the day so they could be together again. The idea of a honeymoon is that the couple who can't keep their hands off of each other could get that constant craving sated enough that they'd come home and be able to live a more-or-less normal life, and could get back to being able to work a full day without that 'going crazy' feeling."

I didn't move, but stayed very still, taking in what he was saying. Not that I didn't know it was coming—he' d told me that he wanted to marry be before we had even slept together! This was just kind of quick! But surprisingly, I wanted it—I wanted him—I wanted a lifetime and more of him! I had to be sure he was saying what I thought he was saying!

"A honeymoon, Mick, that's for people who. . ."

"Yes, for people who get married." He pulled away and looked me in the eyes, raising an eyebrow. He pushed the door shut and took my hand and led me out to the balcony. As we passed the kitchen, I could smell something wonderful baking in the oven. My stomach growled a little. I hadn't really eaten much. . . Mick picked something up off of the counter and led me out onto the balcony. I looked up to the sky, which seemed especially bright and sparkling tonight.

"Oh, the lights are so beautiful!" I sighed, looking out over the city from the high vantage point on which we stood. "And the air is so clear you can see the stars! Look at the moon, Mick—it's full!" I was so happy and taken up with the beauty that surrounded me. Could I be any happier?

"Beth—look at the moon and the stars—I'd give them to you if I could, but all I can offer you is myself, and life with me, for better or worse." He opened up his hand, and a little robin's-egg blue box sat there. The box had a blue ribbon tied in a bow. I couldn't believe it! I knew where that box came from!

I let out a little gasp as I saw what he had in his hand, but that didn't seem to throw him at all. He was a man with a purpose.

"I guess I should do this right," he said to himself, but I heard it. He got down on one knee, holding the box in one hand, holding my right hand with his other. His eyes looked straight into mine.

"Beth—I love you," he said simply. "I think maybe I've loved you all of my life, but it took me a long time to find you, and even then I didn't recognize what I had at first, but when I saw you walking in the cold fountain that night we met again for the first time, and you were barefoot and beautiful, I felt something catch in my chest—it was very strong—I didn't know what it was right then, but I know now." He stopped and swallowed. "Beth, I fell in love with you right then and there. Now, after so much time has passed, with both of us trying to deny what we knew was happening, well, here we are, and here I am, down on one knee!"

His eyes were looking into my soul and I drank that look in until it touched my heart. What a beautiful man—how had God and the Universe ever decided that I deserved a love so complete with a man I adored so completely! I wiped a tear with my free hand without breaking that eye contact that was literally filling me with love and thankfulness--and amazement!

"Beth—it means so much to me to know that you feel the same, and that you love me back, and that we share something so special!" He paused, and I smiled through my tears. He smiled back. "Honey, I need to ask you something very important—would you please marry me? Just as I am, so different from you, but would you agree to spend the rest of your life with me? The rest of OUR life together?"

His face wore the vulnerability I had only seen a few times before. Once again, it was for me to accept him or reject him. I got down on both knees, kneeling with him, able to see into those dark, smoldering eyes. The love I felt emanating from him pierced my heart. Dear God, how I loved him!

"My darling Mick, I can't think of anything I've ever wanted more, so yes, I will absolutely take you as you are—I wouldn't change a thing about you! I love you more than I love my own life, and whatever time I have in this world, I want to share that with you. I want you to be my husband."

He sighed and wiped his eyes quickly. He pulled the ribbon off the little blue box, and inside of the blue box was a little velvet box, which he opened and held out to me. I saw a beautiful ring sparkling against the dark blue velvet in the light of the moon and the stars, a large, round diamond completely encircled by smaller stones. It sparkled brighter than the brightest star! It nearly took my breath away! Mick took the ring out of the box and put on my finger. It fit perfectly, of course! Depend on Mick to have found out my ring size!

"Oh, Mick. It's just beautiful! I absolutely love it! It's perfect!"

"The large stone belonged to my mother, and Tiffany's found the setting--I hope you like it."

"I really love it, Mick, and the stone was your mother's! That's so special!"

"I've had my mother's ring all these years, since she died when I was only eighteen. I've never wanted to give it away until now—to you—my friend, my lover, my life." He kissed me and I kissed him back. I thought back to my life just a week ago. If someone had asked me if I'd consider getting married soon, I'd have said no—but Mick had changed everything just by telling me he loved me! Now, here I was, kissing the man of my dreams under the canopy of the twinkling stars, and I knew my secret wish, so secret that even I hadn't known what it was, had come true.

"You know what this means?" he asked, voice full of emotion.

"Ummmm--we get married?"

"Uh-huh! **And**—we get to go on a honeymoon!"

"Oh yeah! I can definitely use a honeymoon! I wonder how long it will be before we get to go on one!?"

"How about as soon as possible?"

"How soon? Don't we have to do some planning?"

"Well, I have, actually! Come inside. I'll tell you all about what I'm thinking while you eat. I don't want my masterpiece to burn while we stay out here and kiss the night away." He smiled sweetly and kissed my fingers, looking at the ring sparkling in the light of the moon. "It looks perfect on you. My mother would be thrilled to have you wear it."

"Well, I'm thrilled to wear it. I wish I could have known your parents—I'd want to thank them profusely."

"Oh? What would you thank them for? The ring?"

"No, silly—I'd thank them for you."

"Ah." He smiled shyly. We got up and headed for the kitchen, his arm firmly around my waist. It would be interesting to hear what he had in mind!


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN **– **"Ask Josef"**

The veal cordon bleu was superb. I noticed that my wine glass held sparkling pear juice, which was delicious, as well as suspicious. Over dinner, Mick explained that he wanted our marriage to be blessed by a priest, which I agreed to; we both had a kind of yearning to get back so some kind of spirituality that had been missing in our lives, and now seemed terribly appropriate, probably since we both felt that this great miracle—"US"—was some kind of divine gift, and we were both very thankful. But—the priest would come later. For now—we were going to **VEGAS!**

"I spent some time with Josef today, and he had his 'entourage' on hand to work out every detail for us, so—if it's all right with you, my dear, you will become Mrs. St. John next week—that would be Thursday, May twenty-second. Can you be there?"

He looked at me expectantly--he was so excited! I giggled and reached for my glass.

"That's fine, Mick—are we doing a nudist wedding by chance, since I won't have any time to get a dress?"

He looked thoughtful. "Now that IS a great idea! I should have thought of that!" He put another spoonful of pilaf on my plate. "Eat hearty—there's plenty!"

"This is SO good, Mick. I'm just loving your cooking! I feel so special!"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you are as special as special gets! I'm glad you like it! Now, back to the details. Keep eating! I'll talk." I nodded and kept chewing.

"Josef says it's all arranged. We'll fly on one of his private jets to Las Vegas, accompanied by our witnesses, Josef and Simone, if that's okay," My eyes opened wide, but I simply nodded and kept chewing.

"There we will check into the bridal suite at the Wynn." He watched my face and reacted with a little smile as I raised both eyebrows.

"Wow! The Wynn! That's very luxurious!" I took another bite and watched him watching me. I couldn't help but smile.

"Well, it seems that Josef and Steve Wynn are good friends, so I guess the red carpet will be rolled out for us! Anyway, after we get settled, the Wynn limo will take us to The Piazza, which is right next door, and there we will have people waiting to help us find our perfect wedding attire!

"Ohhh! I love shopping! But--if it's a place Josef has chosen, I'm not sure I'll be able to afford a dress!"

"Josef insists that all the wedding expenses are his gift to us. He wants us to have a day to remember, in his words. I also think he's trying to butter us up--but--that's all right with me. So, after we arrive at this Piazza, Josef and I will head to the Men's Monkey Suit Department at Barneys, and you and Simone will be welcomed by a staff in the Bridal Department at Diane von Furstenberg, and you will be helped in the selection of your dresses! So—how does it sound so far?"

I knew my mouth was hanging open, but when Mick's finger touched my chin, I was a little embarrassed.

"It's okay, honey. You can close your mouth. This is just chump change for Josef! He's having as much fun with this as we are! Besides, he's thinking about a long weekend away with Simone, I'm sure!

"You have to be kidding, Mick! This is WAY more than I ever expected! Private jet! A wedding gown! My gosh!"

"Nothing but the best! Josef insists, and I'm letting him. He owes me—big time! So the question is—can you make it? Can you give Talbot the information tomorrow and take off work for two weeks? I should say, two weeks alone with me?" He grinned and I blushed.

"I guess so—TWO WEEKS! Mick, what are we doing for two weeks?" His leer was unmistakable and I laughed out loud. "I mean—besides THAT!"

He pouted for a second. "Oh! I was under the impression that THAT was what we needed to get away for!"

I dabbed my mouth with my napkin and leaned over to kiss him. "THAT is exactly what I want to do—probably 24 hours a day! I'm just wondering where we're going to do THAT for two weeks!"

"Oh—um—it's kind of a surprise." His one eyebrow went up, as if wanting to know if I was going to press him for more information. He was so cute and happy—I didn't really want to ruin his surprise, but I felt I did need a little more information!

"Do I bring bikinis or a parka?" He took both of my hands in his, glancing again at the sparkling bauble on my left ring finger. "I love the look of my ring on you, Beth," he said softly, then looked up at me, eyes gentle, full of passion. "I'd say, don't bring much, since you'll be spending most of the time with no clothes on, just the ring will be enough, but warm weather items for when we go out once in a while will be good."

"Hmmmmm. Very mysterious, my vampire lover! Just as long as we're not heading for Transylvania, I'm happy!" We both laughed.

Mick gathered up the dishes and together we quickly loaded them into the dishwasher, which was one of those very cool foreign deals that washed the dishes in a drawer! He had the best appliances! He packed a little overnight bag again, and we headed to my car. He talked about how great this was going to be, and I agreed—I had never seen the Wynn, but it was new and I was sure it would be wonderful.

"I told Josef we'd want a couple of days in Vegas, if you don't mind, before we take off for our final destination. I know how you like Dashboard Confessional, so I got tickets for Friday night. They're playing at the Hard Rock.

"Really? Mick! That's so great! But we'll have to get dressed," I said smiling into his eyes.

"Oh, it will be tough to be dressed for a few hours, but that will just make getting back to our suite all the sweeter!" I heartily agreed.

Mick drove my car back to my place, got out and opened the door for me. We walked holding hands to the door, while I thought about what a gentleman Mick was—I had to admit that I loved some of his 'old fashioned' habits, like the way he opened the doors for me, and how he always kept an arm around my waist as we walked, just little things, but things that told me he cared about me and wanted to treat me like something very precious to him. I felt the same way—I'd donate a kidney or give all my worldly posessions away for him! My gosh, this feeling for I had for him was so **strong!** It surprised me, yet it didn't, because this was Mick, and Mick was far beyond anything my girlish imagination had ever conjured in my dreams of the one perfect man for me.

We got to my door, which he opened for me, let me enter first, and then as soon as we were inside with the door closed, he threw his bag on the floor and picked me up off of the floor, bringing my face up to his, then kissing me ardently while my feet dangled in midair. I felt light as a feather, and intensely aware of him, his body clutching me to his, his kisses sweet and eager. After a minute, he let me slide down his body until my feet met the floor. As soon as I was on solid ground, I began taking his clothes off, coat first, then pulling his Henley over his head. He got busy as well, and soon we were simply stripping each other of all clothing, throwing the garments in a tell-tale path all the way to the bedroom, arriving at the bed naked and wanting, falling together into the soft mattress, eager for each other as we touched, tasted, groped and stroked. My heart raced just looking at his perfect naked body! He literally looked good enough to eat! Hmmm. Good idea!

"Ah, Beth. I can't stop wanting you. I try to think of other things during the day, but it doesn't work. I need you so much—I can't wait until we get away together!" We held each other, kissing hungrily. I wanted him badly, but wanted to please him as much as he pleased me. And after only a few days, I did know what he liked! I smiled at him as I slid down his body, taking my tongue and running it lightly from the little cleft in his chin on down his neck and chest, then circling his perfect little nipples with my tongue until they stood tight and erect, listening to him moan with pleasure as I kept moving my tongue on down, down to his navel and below, tickling slightly as I went, enjoying listening to him groan. I reached the place where his pubic hair stood out like a wild bush, surrounding a very large, very aroused male organ. I couldn't resist; I had to touch it. I took a hold of it at the base firmly with my right hand, and moved up and down. Mick shifted on the bed and groaned some more. I took my tongue to his sack and tickled him there while my fingers pressed against him just behind his scrotum, and this caused the reward of yet more guttural sounds coming from deep in his chest.

"Beth, you're going to kill me, baby! Ohhhhhh. OHHHHH!!" he shouted as I suckled one large testicle fully into my mouth, then did the same with the other one. I could see that his hands gripped the bedding and his knuckles were turning white. From there I took my tongue up the underside of his long, thick shaft, stopping at that little spot on the underside just below the head, where I had already discovered he was exquisitely tender. My tongue flicked that spot a few times until he was beginning to thrash on the bed a little bit. So I decided to put him out of his misery. Still grasping him low and firmly with my hand, I put as much of him into my mouth as I could swallow without being choked to death. He was HUGE, but he tasted like Mick, which was honey on my tongue! I began an up and down motion with my mouth as my hand assisted me by pumping, pleasuring him.  
"AHH! Beth! Oh!"

"MMMMMhmmmmm" I answered, busy and happy to have the object of my desire under my control! I wanted to drive him crazy—it was only fair! He had done it so often to me lately! The rhythm got faster as he began to move his hips, and I heard him panting when I stopped long enough to lick and suck him hard. He moaned and moved under me as I loved him with my mouth, and as I stroked him with my tongue and hand, I felt his hands move down into my hair, and soon they were pushing my head down, as I opened for him, letting him slide part way down my throat. I was literally swallowing a python, I thought, but having him in my mouth, so deep and so intimate, was getting me so hot and wet that I couldn't help myself from groaning along with Mick. I felt him stretch his legs out straight, as he sucked in his breath, and I knew he was close to the edge, so I kept on with my motions until I felt him tense up, saw him lift his head up off the bed as he came, with long, pulsing, shuddering movements, emptying what was not there, moaning and sighing as I stroked him, sounding as though he was dying of pleasure. He groaned and trembled as wave after wave engulfed him, and as he slowly returned to himself, he withdrew his fingers from my hair, allowing me to come up for air. I sighed and kissed his shaft, suckling him to completeness. Then I laid my head down on his thigh while he continued to catch his breath, which was coming out short and choppy, while I, still holding him firmly, began kissing his skin, so tender down there in the secret place, loving the soft hair of his thigh under my cheek. I reveled in the sensations and scents that surrounded me, content to have pleased him.

After a minute, he reached down and put his hands under my arms, pulling me slowly up over his naked, muscular body, then rolling me onto my back. He kissed me hard as he parted my legs with one knee and penetrated me swiftly with dead-on accuracy, hitting the target with amazing precision, an arrow to the bull's-eye. I gasped and gripped his upper arms, so hard in my hands, aware of his muscles bulging as they supported his weight. I was rocking and pushing with him at a frenetic pace, feeling that he was as desperate as I to join this way, to thrust deeply, as though that could possibly satisfy the need to get even closer! Oh, but this **was **satisfying! My God! It's just that it was SO GOOD--as far as it went--but I needed more—more of something I didn't understand. He was practically bruising my insides, yet I wanted more and more, as though the more we gave each other, the more we wanted; I knew he felt the same way, somehow, as if with him inside of me, I could see into his mind, and also I knew from the way he pushed himself into me, over and over, with wild abandon that he felt the urgent need as well. He reached down and brought my legs up so they went up over each of his shoulders, giving him even deeper access to my center as he pushed on, hammering me, desperate for that—something—I couldn't define. In a moment, I felt my muscles contract around him, squeezing in pleasurable pulses, and as I began to cry out, he, too, was taken over by the pleasure our bodies were giving each other, and I felt him letting go inside of me, both of us crying out for the other, so filled and fulfilled, yet still knowing somehow it wasn't enough!

"OH, GOD, MICK!" I cried, my body convulsing as his body battered mine, feeling both wonderfully complete and yet—not quite. How could we ever find a way to satisfy the hunger of wanting the other so badly? What would completely sate us? I was only slightly surprised when I felt his fangs sink into the tender skin inside of my upper arm, and I gave myself up to him, allowing his mouth on me to suck my life's blood into him, becoming part of him, and at last the feeling of complete abandon and release came over me, causing me to buck and cry out as the intensity of the orgasm, combined with his fangs in my flesh brought me to that place I had yearned to find: a place of complete and utter surrender to him, my lover, my friend, my vampire angel who, in feasting on my tender flesh, tasting me, savoring me, finally brought me to a state of complete and utter ecstacy! In giving myself up to him like this, allowing him to join us this way, we both found the balm we were seeking, the giving and taking so totally selfless, that we felt the bond of something way beyond ourselves joining us, telling us that this was it, this was our nirvana, this was ecstasy as it was meant to be between a man and a woman. I was vaguely aware that I was shuddering under him as he poured his soul into mine and took my life into his body with his tongue and his teeth.

I might have lost consciousness for a few seconds, I'm not sure. I only know that I felt almost as though I had left my body for a moment. When I returned, I was completely spent, and apparently, so was Mick, since he lay on top of me, breathing hard, trying to regain some level of control. I could barely breathe with his body still bearing me down into the bed, but air wasn't even important to me as I savored the simple joy of having his body on mine, heavy and precious. I was still trembling slightly from the both the intense physical contact, as well as the extreme emotional connection I felt with him.

My eyes were full of tears again as I kissed his cheek, an act of intimacy which also seemed to serve as a way to bring him back into the present. He rolled slightly to the side, but didn't pull out of me, and without even opening his eyes, he simply put his arm around me and pulled me tight against him as he slung one long leg over my hip. My mouth was at his neck. I lightly kissed his Adam's apple, his jaw, licked the indentation where his neck met his chest, murmured my love against his skin. MMMMMmmm. Mick! My beautiful Mick!. I could never get enough of him! My tears spilled over and ran down his skin. He moaned softly again, still semi-catatonic. As I lay in his embrace, I wondered at the warm glow inside of me, still flooding me with contentment with each beat of my heart, spreading that glow through my entire body. I felt as if I had been lit up from the inside, and I momentarily wondered if I was glowing. My toes curled with pleasure.

"My God, Mick!" I said, breaking the silence of our reverie, sniffing and drying my tears on his chest.

"I know," he mumbled into my hair. "If we keep this up, the way things are escalating, I'm afraid we're going to kill each other with pleasure!"

"I know!" I rasped, my throat raw and dry from the activity and crying out. "I wonder if two, young healthy people have ever actually done this to the death. The fourth "F," isn't it? Is it always this strong a force?"

He was silent for several heartbeats. I wondered if he was even conscious. Then he said in a serious voice, low and ragged, "Sometimes that's what I'm afraid of, Beth. I've never had an experience with a human before, but this just seems to be getting so very--intense. I think I'm going to have to ask Josef about this."

"Really? Is it that. . ."

"Yeah, Beth—it's that good—it's not supposed to be this good with a human, I'm told. Here I was expecting you to be mild mannered and in control, and I find I have a beautiful little she-wolf who knows how to strip me completely of myself, causing me to go vamp before I even realize what I'm doing! I'm used to being the one in control! I think I might have to find out if we're getting ourselves in trouble here!"

"Mick?"

"Yeah, honey—what?" He still sounded pretty out of it.

"Get me in trouble. If that's what trouble is, I don't care!"

"Be careful what you say when you're with a vampire, Beth" he said in a low, serious voice. You don't understand yet, but you could definitely get into more trouble than you bargained for!"

"That's okay with me, Mick. I want it all--Mick?"

I heard the steady, even breaths in my ear. He was sleeping. And as I listened to his breathing so close to me, so comforting, I fell asleep in his arms.

I woke several hours later. There was a chocolate mint on Mick's pillow with a note. I groggily unfolded it, and tried to focus my eyes on his handwriting.

"Beth, my love, I'll be back in time to take you out for breakfast. I've gone to run a few errands. I miss you every moment I'm away from you. See you soon. Love, Mick"

--

Mick was sitting in Josef's house, having awakened his friend, who now sat in his silk robe, sipping his favorite O-positive from a tall tumbler. Mick joined him in his breakfast. Josef's smile was incredulous.

"So, buddy, you're telling me that the sex is TOO good? I'm sorry, but I can't seem to find any problem in that." He looked at Mick, a little puzzled, and very amused. Mick was still young, as far as vampires go, but explaining sex to him was kind of like giving him the father-son talk before the wedding!

"You know, you're making me feel VERY old, coming to me for advice on sex!"

"I'm sorry, Josef, but who can I talk to? I mean, you ARE older—you've had a LOT more sex in your life than I've had! This is new to me! I mean, there was always this unwritten rule about us not getting involved with humans, Josef—and that advice even came from YOU! And now I find out you didn't stick to your own advice, and here I am with the one girl in the whole world who is my soul-mate, and I'm almost afraid to make love to her! I want to know—what was it like for you?"

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"I'm sorry to have to ask you this, Josef, don't answer if you think it's too painful, but—how was it with Sarah? What do you feel with Simone? I can't understand what's happening between Beth and me!"

Josef looked his friend in the eyes, seeing his pain, seeing that he was truly worried. This wasn't a joke to Mick! Josef swirled the deep red liquid in his glass, watching it, thinking about what to say before he said it.

Mick simply waited, hoping Josef would be able to shed some light on this situation and help out. After living four hundred years, the man ought to know something helpful!

"I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here, Mick. I appreciate that you think I can help you. I'm not sure I can, but let's talk. I'll tell you about my experiences—hopefully that will give you some new insights into this problem you think you have with Beth. Okay? Okay."

"That's fair, and thanks," Mick said, picking up his glass and taking a swallow.

"Sarah was probably the love of my life, Mick. And we were together for a long time before I found out that she knew what I was. The sex was great—it was warm, compassionate, satisfying. We had a good sex life! She understood the sex would change after I turned her, and she wanted to experience that too—she said she wanted it "all." She gave me her informed consent—it just didn't work out." He paused, getting a faraway look in his eyes for a moment, then he quickly returned to the present.

"After she went into the coma, I felt as though I had a hole inside of me that could never be filled again. I wanted her back so badly Mick—I went to every vamp I knew and asked if there was anything I could do! I was desperate for her! And it wasn't the sex, Mick, it was HER. I wanted HER, human or vampire, it didn't matter. She knew me and understood me as nobody ever had."

Mick saw the moistness in Josef's eyes and appreciated his honesty. "Hey—I'm so sorry, Josef. Now I finally understand that kind of love, and honestly, without Beth, I don't know if I could even keep living!"

"You would, but yeah—it's like that. But the sex—it was good because it was Sarah, not because it was so GOOD, you know? And the other sex I've had with human women, well, it wasn't all that earth-shattering, you know? But fun and pleasurable is good when you're lonely! And it's the same with Simone, but she wants me to turn her, so the sex will obviously change, but she's already okay with the biting, so really, the sex is pretty great! Is this helping you?"

Mick was looking into the glass in his hands, turning it quickly back and forth in his palms, thinking if it were cream in there, he'd soon have butter. He listened intently to Josef, but wasn't hearing what he really wanted to know.

"Compare the human sex to vamp sex, Josef."

Josef gave him a raised eyebrow look.

"Just humor me, okay? This is very important to me!"

"Hey, brother!" Josef blurted out, "**You** were probably the champion of vamp sex with Coraline! You know the difference! It's like the difference between hitting a shrub with your car when you pull into your driveway versus being run over by a semi in your compact! Am I right? I mean, all of us were insanely jealous of what you and Coraline had! Is that it? Sex with Beth isn't like the sex with Coraline? But no—you said the sex with Beth was 'too good,' so at this point, I am the confused one."

"Coraline—that—was, it was like survival of the fittest! Sex with her was like a rugby death match! She practically tore me apart! Honestly, I don't know why I kept going back! Yeah, it was intense and it was pleasurable in its own sick way, but it was dangerous!" His eyes suddenly changed as he looked at his friend, sitting calmly, listening, trying to understand what the problem was. Mick's eyes took on a wild, worried look.

"Maybe its ME, Josef! Maybe it's something wrong with ME! Maybe it wasn't even Coraline! I mean, I did as much damage to her as she did to me! Geez! That's not love, that's just pure insanity!"

"Well, it might be love. . ."

"NO! I know the difference now! I've experienced true love now! I can't _believe_ what we share together, Josef—I sit in awed silence watching her sleep afterwards, and I can't understand it—this thing that's between us! It's. . ." his breath caught in his throat and emotions overwhelmed him.

Josef, surprised by the emotion, leaned over and put a hand on Mick's arm. "You really are in love with her, aren't you, man?"

Mick looked at his friend, eyes filling, then catching himself, gaining control. "I love her more than anything, Josef. And when we—are—together—"

"When you and Beth have sex. . .what is it, Mick? What are you afraid of?"

"I feel like, like I'm so lost in her, so lost in the moment, and she—she's so giving and willing and I completely lose my head, man! I mean, like last night—I bit her, and I bit her not just to taste, but—it was like I wasn't even there for a second, I was drinking her in and she was giving back all of herself, and. . ."

Josef felt a pull low in his groin. He almost wanted to close his eyes and imagine he was Mick for a moment—with Beth—on the bed—oh, man, what every guy dreamed of! Now Mick had it! Josef couldn't help the tiny stab of jealousy, but he soon snapped out of it. This was his best friend! He smiled at Mick and raised his glass.

"Here's to what we all crave, Mick, and it sounds as though you've found it—love and sex blending into that complete bliss we all seek but rarely experience. Thank the Universe for this gift, Brother! Don't be worrying!"

"But I'm afraid I'm going to kill her, Josef! I'm afraid I'll lose all control and I'll just go bezerk on her and I'll drain her and she'll be dead!"

Josef sat back again, watching Mick's face with an intense, analytical gaze. "But that isn't your _real_ fear, is it, Mick? Your real fear is that you are going to _turn _her, because we both know that if that happened, and you totally vamped out on her and drained her, you'd feed her your blood and she'd become one of us. THAT is your real fear, isn't it?"

Mick sat looking miserable. "I guess, yeah, that's really a fear That's it."

"But why, Mick? Would she REALLY be mad at you? Tell her now! Tell her before you marry her that there is ALWAYS that possibility that you might accidentally go off and turn her! She needs to know this. It's a fact we can't deny—we sometimes do turn the lovers we're with. Just let her know ahead of time, and she'll be okay with it! I'll bet you a million dollars that she will! Why? Because she LOVES you Mick! She loves you! She wants to be with you forever and if you turn her—she will be! You'll be a great teacher, Mick. It will all work out okay. Trust me. But you do have to be honest with Beth."

Mick looked at Josef with eyes that were stricken.

"What Mick!" Josef was genuinely concerned. "It hasn't happened, has it? Have you already turned her? What is it?"

"Josef—Beth is pregnant. I can't turn her. It would kill both her and the baby."


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT – "The List"**

I had put off telling Ben about our getting married until I couldn't wait any longer. Now it was the day before we were to take off for Vegas, and I HAD to tell him today! I hoped he would be happy for me, and that taking time off wouldn't be a big deal, but I also knew I should have said something earlier. It's just that I had a strange feeling that Ben wouldn't be happy, I didn't know why, but I also knew I didn't want to work with him all week when he was mad at me, so--here I was waiting for him, and time was going slowly.

I had gotten to work early this morning to try to catch him, knowing his schedule had him in court most of the day, and I simply had to talk to him about my leave of absence as soon as possible! He put me off until the afternoon, which now had become 5 o'clock p.m.

I dialed Mick up on my cell and got his voicemail: "Hi, honey—I'm stuck here waiting for Ben to get back from court. I can't just up and leave tomorrow without even telling him why I'm gone—I'll be home as soon as possible. I love you!"

At 5:40, Ben finally came back, looking worn out and distracted.

"Oh, Beth! I'm so sorry I kept you waiting—it was a long day in court, and I—just got late here—what did you need to speak to me about? Come on into my office—have a seat. Pardon me, I'll be right back."

He rushed off to the men's room and I sat in his office looking around. No pictures of family, no pictures of a girlfriend, and that seemed somehow sad to me! He was a successful, good-looking guy! I guessed he must work so much that he had no time for a real life!

I looked over his desktop—it was covered with the files he was currently working, and I spotted a newspaper clipping in one of the empty spots between the stacks of files. I pulled it toward me and saw that it was an article on how Jacob had been rescued from the kidnapper, and at the top of the article was a nice, color picture of me and Ben. I heard his footsteps coming toward the office and placed the clipping back in its little spot.

He came rushing back in, took off his suit coat and threw it over the back of his large, comfy-looking executive chair. He sat on the other side of his desk in that enormous thing and suddenly made me feel like a dwarf about to ask the giant for a favor. Maybe I should have brought some other Lilliputians with me to tie him up, just in case his mood was bad! He was looking at me with an unreadable facial expression that I hoped wasn't anger at keeping him here later than he would have stayed without me demanding his time at the end of a busy day.

"What was it you wanted to talk about, Beth? Everything going okay?" He leaned back in his chair and looked like he was trying to relax, but the effort wasn't working.

I cleared my throat. I felt like a school kid in the principal's office, for some reason! "Ben—I need to take some time off, that's all. Everything is great! But something has come up very suddenly, and I need two weeks off starting tomorrow."

His face didn't move for several seconds as he processed this information. I didn't know him well enough to read him, I realized. Then he leaned over onto his desk, folding his hands. The way he looked at me made my stomach clutch.

"Might I ask what is so urgent that you need a long vacation at a moment's notice?"

I returned his penetrating gaze and saw that his face was a kind of mixture of irritation and curiosity. Maybe I could read him after all! "Well, actually, I'm, um, getting married." I found myself fiddling with my ring.

Well, that statement just laid there between us like a loaded gun. Ben looked as though someone had died. I felt a little nauseous, all of a sudden. Very strange.

"Married? You're getting married? How long have you known you were getting married?"

"Not very long, Ben. I'm sorry for the short notice. I hope it won't be a problem." I felt my afternoon bag of chips and the soda I drank with it starting to rise into my throat. I swallowed several times. Wow, I sure didn't think I'd be this nervous!

"Well, Beth, it IS a problem. Two weeks is a long time, and you want to just take off tomorrow? Is there a need to be in such a hurry that you can't even give me a week's notice?" He looked at me as if asking if I was insane. I resented that look.

"Yes, Ben. Like I said, we kind of decided to do this without a lot of planning."

"You want to leave tomorrow to get married? Must be going to Vegas? What's going on? Are you—no, never mind. It's none of my business, and it's illegal for me to ask you anyway."

"Oh, you were wondering if I'm pregnant?" I tried to act nonchalant, even though discussing my reproductive system with my boss was uncomfortable, to say the least. "Well, I don't think so—"

"Okay! That's very helpful! I hope you find out before the baby is born!" He was kind of fuming, and I was feeling both angry and sick. "Beth—I didn't even know you were seeing anyone—might I ask you, this? Who is the lucky man?"

He said that kind of snidely, I thought, like I was a stupid kid who got knocked up and now had to quick go marry the guy who did it to me. I didn't want him thinking that! I tried to read his face and decided again that no, I really could not read his face! I tried not to hedge on the question, because I knew he and Mick weren't exactly on the best of terms.

"Beth?"

"Oh, ah—Ben--it's Mick—I'm, ah, I'm marrying Mick. He's asked me to marry him, you see, and we're flying to Las Vegas tomorrow, and then he's taking me on a surprise honeymoon."

There. I saw him react physically to this statement, jerking slightly in his big important chair, and I really was feeling like I might throw up on his desk. I kept swallowing and asked him for some water. He leaned behind him and took a cold bottle out of his mini-fridge and set it down in front of me. I swigged it down like a thirsty sailor who had just found a barrel of rum.

"I don't like this, Beth. I've got to tell you, I don't like this at all."

I swallowed a huge gulp and said, "Excuse me Ben? What's the problem? I have too much work to do for you and I can't take off some time to get married?"

"No—I'll be able to have other staff fill in for you—the problem is that you're marrying Mick St. John. I have a big problem with that."

I was stunned. I sat there with my half bottle of water and my mouth hanging open. Then I got mad. "You don't even know Mick—how can you say such a thing? Especially after he helped you solve the case of little Jacob missing! And he also solved your Tierney Taylor case! If Mick hadn't told you she was bludgeoned with that anchor, you might have assumed she just dove off of the ship and killed herself! Thanks to Mick, we all know what really happened, and you collared another killer! Come on, Ben! You can't be serious! You know Mick is a great guy!"

"I am serious, Beth. I have to object very strongly to this plan of yours. I'd go as far as saying. . ." he hesitated for a second, then said "I want to warn you not to do this. Beth, please don't marry Mick St. John."

He didn't have to tell me how serious he was—that part I could read on his face! He actually looked worried and maybe a little sick himself! Maybe this was a flu bug! Great—all I needed was a hostile boss and the flu to get my marriage off on the right foot! I sat there in my little chair, stunned and ill. The giant looked very grumpy.

"I don't get this at all, Ben." Pause. "Excuse me—I have to use the bathroom." I got up and ran, opening the door to the men's room, since it was closer than the ladies' room, and got there just in time to vomit into a urinal. I flushed it three times, hoping the nasty thing would go down, and most of it did. I pulled a paper cup out of the dispenser and rinsed my mouth out several times, gargling and spitting until I got the bad taste out of my mouth. Just then, the door opened and Ben came barging in on me in my state of distress. Great.

"Beth? Are you all right?"

"I think so—I must have a stomach virus or something. I'm also pretty upset about what you just said."

"Well I would hope so! I'm not stupid, and I do have reasons for warning you about Mick. I wouldn't just say something like that if I didn't feel it was necessary."

I wiped my mouth on a paper towel and looked up at him. He towered over me, and I wished I hadn't picked today to wear flats. Anyway, the Lilliputian said to the Giant,

"Well, if that's so, I guess you had better tell me exactly what you mean! Mick St. John is absolutely the nicest man I have EVER known, and I have known a LOT of men in my time, and I have known Mick for longer than I have known ANY of the other men in my life, and I will not stand here and let you speak of my future husband that way without being very, very angry with you!"

I wondered in retrospect if I had said that right, or had I just made myself sound like a slut? I didn't mean KNOW the men in the Biblical sense, or not all of them—Uh-oh! Here it came again!

This time I got to a stall so I had the advantage of throwing up into an actual toilet, which worked much better than heaving into a men's urinal! I wretched and gagged and flushed. I walked out, red-faced from the hurling as well as the embarrassment! Once again I went through my rinse and gargle routine, this time in front of Ben. I was hoping this would at least get me some sympathy from him!

When I was done, I faced him, eyes flashing. "Tell me what you think is wrong with the man I love!"

"Beth—do you want to sit down? You look a little pale! Maybe we should go back into my office?"

"NO! I want to hear what you have against Mick right now!" I threw the paper towel I had been holding so hard into the waste bin that it almost jumped out again. Ben at least had the decency to look upset.

He sighed, then said, "Fine! I'm not supposed to say _anything _about this to _anyone, _but I guess I'm going to have to—I have a list—the list has a lot of names on it. Mick St. John is one of the names on the list."

"And what IS this list that's so important? And WHY is Mick's name on it?"

"I don't know yet. The list came from an anonymous tipster who said it was for MY eyes only, so do not breathe a word of this to anyone. I'm only telling you because I think your marrying this guy would qualify as a need-to-know basis for my spilling the secret."

"Oh! Well! Now I know I should definitely not marry Mick! He is on a 'list' donated by someone who won't tell you his name, and on that basis you have concluded that Mick is no good! I'm so glad to know our ADA is not influenced by meaningless 'anonymous tips!'"

He looked down at his shoes, size 18 at least, and I was sincerely hoping he was feeling some shame.

"Look, Beth, I don't know yet what the list means, but I think it's important. There are some prominent people on that list! I think they might be up to something that isn't on the up and up!"

"Prominent people and Mick on this list? Well! That's just SO incriminating!" I was feeling sick again, and didn't know if it was my stomach or my heart. What was this about anyway?

"Okay, I'm just going to give it all to you straight, Beth. I also have a file on Mick St. John." I glared at him and lowered my eyebrows.

"Why would you keep a file on Mick?"

"Why? Because I got some photos in the mail that are very disturbing. They show Mick being hit by a car going at high speed, and he goes up on the hood of the car, falls off onto the pavement, where he lies until YOU come over to him and help him up! Any ordinary person would have been killed by a car racing at that velocity, throwing them up in the air, then crashing to the pavement! And YOU were there! YOU must know something about this, and you aren't telling me what Mick's secret is, are you, Beth? I'm your boss, and I hoped I could be a friend. I'm trustworthy. Can't you tell me?"

His eyes were boring into me. "Where did you say you got these alleged pictures?" I asked, knowing exactly who had sent them—that paparazzi photographer Dean Foster.

"They were sent to me anonymously."

"Again, I must congratulate you, ADA Talbot, for not taking false evidence seriously! Do you KNOW what people can do with 'PhotoShopping' these days? They can make any picture look like a car wreck! Honestly! I'm very disappointed in you!" I tried to say that last bit scathingly, but it kind of just croaked out. I was beginning to feel dizzy.

"I know—it does sound crazy, Beth, but for some reason, I think the list and the photos are legitimate. I just haven't had time to track down who sent them and why."

"And on the basis of an anonymous person of dubious character, I am supposed to not love Mick and not marry him? Are you out of your mind?"

Ben looked at me with a mixture of concern, irritation and desperation. Okay, I was starting to be able to read him now, and I didn't like what his face was saying.

"Ben?"

"What, Beth?"

"I need help, I'm going to be sick again." I sort of fell toward him, and he caught me under the arms. He helped me walk to the first stall, where I sank down onto the floor, grasping the toilet as I slid down, and then I threw up one more time, hugging the seat like an old friend. I felt Ben standing over me, and as I began to vomit; I felt his hands on my neck as he caught hold of my hair and held it back for me, saving it from falling into the water in the john.

I was dry-heaving now, feeling horrible, feeling very angry at Ben, feeling upset that this was happening now, the day before I was to take off for Las Vegas to get married, and yet I was thanking this hulking jerk for helping me. Well, maybe he wasn't such a jerk—I couldn't blame him for being suspicious.

"When did that list get sent to you?" I asked from inside the toilet bowl.

"The day Emma Monaghan was arrested and later disappeared from our custody in transport to the jail.

Alarms went off in my head. Emma had been executed that night, so who might have sent that list?

I spit into the water and tried to reach the handle for a flush, but couldn't quite manage that. Ben reached over for me, still holding my hair, and flushed for me. He was behind me, kind of straddling me, and, as embarrassed as I was, I was terribly grateful to him for being so kind. Still clutching the bowl, I asked him, "Was Emma's name on the list?" I spit once again. I hated throwing up!

He hesitated only a moment. "It was on the list, and it had a line through it, as did Jackson's name. I don't know if you know this, but Jackson disappeared that same night. We can't track him down."

I shivered. Both of them dead, both crossed off that list! I felt so ill that I laid my head down on the toilet seat, a thing I would never actually do in my real life, but this was all very surreal, with Ben holding my hair and me hearing about this death list with Mick's name on it!

"Can you tell me the name of one of the prominent people on the list? Besides Emma and Jackson, that is?"

"Okay, just remember that this is STRICTLY confidential!"

"I will, I mumbled miserably."

"Josef Kostan was on the list as well. A great benefactor to Hearst College, and his name is there too, but it's not crossed off."

Okay, that was good. Josef wasn't dead and wasn't crossed off.

"Is Mick crossed off?" I asked in a very weak voice. I had to know if this crossing off of names meant they were already dead or if it meant they were marked for a hit.

"**Is Mick crossed off of what!?**" an angry voice asked from behind Ben. Oh, great! It was Mick, here to see me on the floor of the men's toilet with my head in the bowl! How attractive this must be, to find your soon-to-be bride in this position! I died a few small deaths.

"Oh, Mick," Ben said flatly. "Beth is pretty sick. I've been trying to keep her from drowning."

"I can see that! I'd like to know just what is going on here! What is this about me being crossed off of something?"

I felt Ben let go of my hair and stand up. He must have turned to face Mick. "You are on a list of names I received. I just told Beth not to marry you because you are on this mysterious list that was delivered to me the day Emma Monaghan disappeared, and I can't have my best employee going off and marrying you without knowing what this is all about. Believe it or not, I care about Beth. I wish you did. I don't know what trouble you're in, but I know it's trouble—I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing, and I'm telling you--I can't give her the time off to go get married to some thug on a hit list while Elvis sings 'Love Me Tender'!"

"I don't appreciate that at all, Ben!" Mick said in a very low, threatening voice.

I thought I heard a low growl come from his throat, and suddenly all I could see were images of Mick going vamp and tearing Ben's throat out! Then what would we do? Call the cleaner and go off to Vegas the day after he killed my boss?

I barely even felt myself lose consciousness and fall onto the bathroom tile, but I know my head must have hit pretty hard, because when I woke up, I was in a hospital with a very bad headache, a very large ice pack strapped to my temple, and two very large, bad-looking men in my room with me.

As I tried to focus, I was reassured that they were both alive, anyway, the un-jolly giant and the vampire who wanted to eat him for breakfast. I closed my eyes, hoping I'd faint again.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE - Glitches**

Mick looked over at Talbot and wondered why he was still here. It was awfully late, and Beth was going to be released soon. Maybe he was thinking he'd have to drive them home.

"Ah, Talbot?" he said quietly as they stood in the small room in the Emergency Department, curtains drawn around the three of them, Beth snoozing under her ice pack.

"What?" Ben shot back.

"I was just going to tell you that you could go home—I can get a friend to give us a ride home when they release Beth."

"No need. I'm here—I can give you a ride home."

"Okay, if you insist, that's pretty decent of you." Mick said it, even though he wanted to just punch the guy. He saw how Talbot looked at Beth! It wasn't difficult to deduce that his caring went a little deeper than Mick was comfortable with. Just seeing him straddling her in that stall, holding her hair, taking care of her—it made Mick feel both angry and grateful. There was just something about Talbot that made Mick feel edgy.

"Does all this mean you won't be flying to Vegas tomorrow then?" Ben asked pointedly.

"Ah, yeah, Talbot! I'm not going to do anything that would hurt Beth, and I don't think the doctor is going to give her his blessing to go flying when she has a concussion! Even though it's not serious!

"Well—good. I'm sorry she got so sick, but I'm glad this little scheme is postponed for a while."

"Better watch it, Talbot. My marrying Beth is no 'little scheme!' I love her and she loves me. That's all you need to know."

"Huh." Talbot bit a hangnail and looked at Mick. "She doesn't know enough about you to marry you. I want you to know—I'm going to do my best to talk her out of this."

"You don't know what you're talking about. Just—be quiet."

"Mr. St. John?" the doctor said as he pushed through the curtains. He looked both men over briefly, finding it odd that they were both here with his patient. Must be some kind of love triangle—she didn't have any family members here, according to her records.

"I'm Mick St. John, Doctor. Can Beth go home yet?"

"I have the papers here to release her. I understand you are her future husband? It would be okay if you fill out this page and sign down here."

While Mick finished up the paperwork, the doctor gave his little speech to both men.

"I'm releasing her into your custody—whichever one of you will be taking care of the patient—"

"That would be me," Mick said, handing the papers back to the doctor.

"This is the situation, Mr. St. John—We scanned her head, and the scan was negative, so we conclude that she has a mild concussion, no pathology that is terribly concerning, but as with any head injury, we do need to keep a watch on her for the next twenty-four hours. Will you be able to do that?"

"Of course. I won't let her out of my sight."

"You're going to be up all night—is that a problem? If it is, I can admit her."

"Believe me, doctor, it's no problem," Mick said, putting his hand over his mouth to hide the smile that wanted to break the seriousness.

"Well, I hope it's no problem. You will have to wake Ms. Turner up every hour, ask her a question, and be sure she's making sense. With a brain injury that has caused loss of consciousness, we always worry. However, from the detailed history of the onset of this injury, it does sound as though she might have lost consciousness before she fell, and that is yet another cause for concern. At any rate, please keep her under your watchful eye, and if you find you cannot, bring her back in—we'll watch her here."

"I understand, Doctor."

"Now, I want you to make an appointment with her regular doctor in the next day or two. I want her thoroughly checked out. If she fainted, we'd like to know what caused that."

"She was very sick, vomiting, and then fainted." Ben said, looking at the doctor, then at Mick. "She also was going through some emotional stress, and in fact, she was planning to fly to Las Vegas tomorrow. I guess those plans are scrapped for now."

"Yes. There is no way I could agree to let her fly tomorrow. Not in the shape she's in now."

"That's fine, Doctor. Thank you. I'll take very good care of her," Mick said with conviction.

"I hope so! She's quite a nice young lady, if I do say so." Mick looked at the doctor who was, in turn, raising an eyebrow at Mick. He was probably in his mid-sixties, trim and handsome for a man his age. It seemed to Mick that everywhere Beth went, she found a man who wanted to befriend her.

"She is—she's my life." Mick said earnestly, gesturing with both hands out to his side in such a way that the doctor had no doubt of his sincerity.

Satisfied, the doctor nodded. I'll tell the desk to get her a wheel chair. Whoever is driving may as well go get the car and pull it around to the big double door over there." He pointed to the automatic door.

"I'm going. I'll see you shortly." Ben walked down the hall and out the door.

The doctor was checking Beth over one more time, shining his little light in her eyes, asking her to stick out her tongue and do a few other neurological checks. "Okay, Ms. Turner. I'm letting you out of here. Mr. St. John says he can take care of you tonight."

"Thanks, Doctor Carson. I appreciate your help."

A nurse came in and disconnected the IV bag, bandaged the wound, then helped Beth sit up. "How do you feel? Are you dizzy?"

"Actually, I think I'm fine now. I think I'm feeling a lot better than when I came in."

"Probably the fluids. You were a little dehydrated. You seem better. That's a good sign. You should keep feeling better and better as time goes by." She waved Mick over. "I'll help her into the chair here," she said as she got Beth into the wheel chair. "Now, follow us out and I'll let you get her into your car."

Mick followed them down the hallway, carrying Beth's handbag, and out they went through the automatic door. Ben was waiting, standing by his car, which was running. Mick lifted Beth out of the chair and put her in the back seat of Ben's car, handing in her purse, then got in beside her, buckling her in first, then himself.

"Where am I taking you?" Ben asked as he pulled out of the hospital driveway.

"To Beth's place—do you need directions?"

"No, I'll get you there."

Beth sighed and leaned on Mick, who had an arm around her and helped her snuggle close to his chest. "Thank you Ben," she said sleepily against Mick's shirt. Mick raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Hey, no problem. I'm sorry you got sick. Stay home until you feel better, okay?"

"MMMhmmmm. Thanks. I'll call you." Mick watched her drift off to sleep, and held her close. What a day! First his session with Josef, then this!

"Talbot—you know I still want to talk to you about that 'list' thing I heard you and Beth discussing."

"Oh, well, that's confidential, St. John. I really can't say anything about it. Beth and I were discussing a case of ours."

"A case that involves me?"

"I haven't really determined that yet. You can be sure that if I find you're involved in something unseemly, I'll let you tell me your story."

"I'm sure you will. Give me a call any time you want to talk."

"Will do. This is her street, right?"

"Yeah, just pull up right here. Thanks, Talbot," Mick managed to say as he woke Beth and slid her out of the car. "I mean that, man. It was good of you to drive us to the hospital. I was awfully scared, and you got us there much faster than calling the EMTs would have." Ben was out of the car, shutting the back door as Mick held onto Beth. Mick held out his hand, and they shook as gentlemen.

"Hey—let me know how she is tomorrow, will you?"

"You got it."

Ben watched as Mick walked Beth into the building. She seemed okay. He hoped she was. He also hoped she'd re-think this thing with St. John. How had that happened right under his nose? He shook his head and drove home.

Mick got Beth out of her clothes and into a warm nightgown, letting her sit on the bed while he got her some water. He came back into the room and held out the glass. She drank half of it before stopping.

"I don't know why I'm so thirsty! This whole thing started with being thirsty in Ben's office!"

"Well, they said at the hospital that you were dehydrated. Sounds like you pretty much threw everything up. How's your stomach now? Are you hungry?"

"No. I think just water for now. Thanks, Mick. I'm sorry you have to play nurse for me tonight."

"Well, I'm not sorry!" Mick sat down on the bed next to her, took the glass from her hand and set it on her nightstand. He took both of her hands in his. They were cold, even by his standards.

"Honey—I'm always going to be around for you, so get used to it." He winked at her and she smiled.

God! He had been so terrified when he couldn't rouse her from that bathroom floor! Thank goodness Ben had said he'd drive her to the hospital to save some time. Mick had picked her right up off of the floor, and out the door they had flown. He guessed it was good to be speeding with the Assistant DA, but nobody was around to stop them. Ben had said if they were stopped, he'd simply ask for an escort. Good thinking. Beth had gotten from the bathroom tile to a room in the ER in about ten minutes.

"I think I need to lie down. My head still hurts a little."

"Oh, I have another ice pack from the hospital. Let me get it out of my bag here," he said as he rummaged through his duffel and pulled out the frozen pack. "I'll wrap it in a towel. You—I'm going to hold you all night." He pointed one finger at her as he disappeared into the bathroom, emerging with a hand towel. He wrapped the icy pack and sat on the bed again, leaning over to take off boots and socks, then standing and taking off his jacket and jeans. All he had on was his shirt. He looked at it, shrugged, and took that off too.

"Okay. Do you want to lie down or lean on me kind of sitting? What would be more comfortable?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm just so tired!" Beth yawned a big yawn.

"Come on," Mick said as he got on the bed and pulled Beth back with him. He piled up pillows behind him and leaned on them, then spread his legs and pulled Beth up between them leaning her back on his chest, putting the cold towel on her head. "Is that okay?"

"Perfect. You're kind of a hard pillow, but you feel good."

"Okay. We'll start out like this. Go to sleep, honey. I'll wake you up in an hour."

It was already going on 3 a.m. Beth was breathing evenly as she slept against him. He kissed her cheek and settled in for the night. His mind went back over his talk with Josef.

Mick had known Josef would react to the news, but he hadn't anticipated how strongly Josef would react!

"What did you say? Mick—I thought you said Beth is pregnant. That isn't possible, my friend, unless she's been with someone besides you." He raised his eyebrows. Mick didn't like the implication.

"No, Josef. Nobody but me! In fact, I can tell you exactly when she got pregnant! The first time we had sex! How is that for timing?"

"It's impossible, Mick. That's all I can say. What makes you think she's pregnant? You've had this verified?"

"I just—I know her. I mean, after a year of being with her so much, I know her so well. I could always smell the subtle changes in her body chemistry, you know? Hasn't that ever happened to you with a woman?"

Josef shook his head. "No. I guess I'm not as sensitive to the intricacies of scent as you. Must be the P.I. in you."

"Well, I think you're probably right. Over time, I've learned to use my nose more than the average vamp does, I'm sure." He stopped and took a sip out of his glass.

"Josef, I've never been with a human before, not since I was turned, but I've been around them constantly, and Beth is different, for some reason. I'm just so intensely aware of her, Josef. I always have been. She smells like heaven to me, and this keen sense I have of her has just kind of evolved into knowing her cycles, the way her hormones get more pronounced at certain times, and the way her skin smells and drives me crazy. Well, I can't be specific about this, but all I can say is that in all the time I've known her, she hasn't smelled the way she smells now. It's all I can do to keep my fangs out of her! I just don't know what to do!"

"Wow. You are convincing, but I know better. I would have never thought Beth would cheat on you, though. Could it be Josh's?"

Mick looked at Josef and rolled his eyes. "I know you don't mean to be intentionally obtuse, but you're acting like you haven't heard a word I've said!"

"Mick! Buddy! I hate to burst your bubble, but we cannot procreate! If you're sure Beth is pregnant—"

"I'm almost sure, Josef, but I can't explain how she smells so great any other way. And if you're wondering how we 're-wrote the rules of vampire love?' Josef was nodding. The way we did that was by me getting the 'cure.'"

Josef sat up straight, then jumped out of his chair. "You were only human for six days, Mick!"

"I know! And sperm take a couple of months to be viable. I guess I produced enough of them—somehow—with that cure, which must have some magic in it, and combined with my natural vampire abilities to regenerate—I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKED! Josef! I cannot explain it logically, but when we had sex, I, ah." Mick hesitated. Josef was his very best friend, but this was pretty strange to be talking about.

"What, Mick? Don't go getting all embarrassed now. If what you're talking about actually _did_ happen, then I'm going to be asking you to help me get the same thing! Now—you were having sex with Beth—"

"I was, and I thought it felt so great because I loved her so much, but something was really different—I mean REALLY different." Josef waited. Mick sat silent, remembering, feeling slightly aroused just thinking about that first night with Beth! Josef brought him back to reality.

"Mick! Buddy! Tell me! What was different?"

"I, uh," Mick was feeling uncomfortable.

"Come on, bro—tell me!"

"Okay! I ejaculated! Do you even remember what that _feels _like? I thought I was going to pass out from how great that felt!" Josef felt the slight pull of arousal listening to Mick, even though he couldn't honestly say he remembered sex before becoming a vampire. He had thought vampire sex highly superior to human, but now he wondered if that was true.

Josef stared at his friend. "I guess I'll have to take your word on that, but you don't know if you let go of any little swimmers, right?" Josef raised both eyebrows at Mick.

"Well, I didn't have a laboratory in the bedroom to take a look under a microscope, no! It was unmistakable, though, both Beth and I could identify the, ah, what came out, as semen. I'm thinking there must have been enough swimmers in what I gave her that night, several times," he said under his breath, and saw Josef lick his lips and swallow. Yeah, Josef would be aroused just thinking it was possible! "but I think it was enough to get her with child."

"Okay, so the planets aligned and your, ah, human stuff met up with Beth's, ah, whatever, and this cosmic burp happened and now you think you got Beth pregnant?"

"I think so."

Josef was silent for several beats. He looked at Mick with a strange expression. "If this proves to be true, Mick, and that is a BIG 'IF!' but IF your Beth is having your baby, then I want you to find the cure again. I want to take it. I want to have the same chance as you to father a child."

Mick just looked at him.

"Hey! I told you I didn't like regrets, and that is the ONLY one! If I can remedy it, I will!"

"I'll keep you posted on the pregnancy, but the cure might be hard to track down."

"Coraline has it, right?"

"Yeah, and Lance has Coraline. I have NO idea how to find her."

"I do."

"Be careful, Josef. Just promise me—be very careful."

Josef punched Mick lightly in the arm. "You know I will be."

--

So, what Josef had ended up telling Mick, after they had discussed the possible pregnancy, was that he was just going to have to practice that famous Mick St. John restraint, and he was going to have to love Beth without vamping. Wow. Tough order! He had never meant to vamp out on her in the first place, but sex with Beth was just so—well--intense was about the only word he could think of to describe it. Now he'd have to be a very _good _vampire. How would Beth take that? She seemed to love the wild side of their lovemaking! Oh, man. He was in trouble! He looked at the clock. A little after 4 a.m.

"Beth?" He kissed her cheek, took the ice pack off, and still she slept. "Beth, honey, wake up. Beth?" He moved her so he was holding her now like a baby in his arms. She was so lovely in sleep, so peaceful, so beautiful. She looked like an angel. Her heart was beating strong and steady, he noted, and her temperature was normal. Nice, steady respiration. She needed to wake up, though.

He rubbed her leg, and when that produced no results, he rubbed her sternum. There, that would rouse her.

"Owwww. Stop that."

"There you go. Honey, I just need you to wake up for a minute. Are you thirsty?"

"Yes, and I have to pee really bad."

"Okay, let's go to the bathroom. Can you wake up? Beth?"

"MMMMMMMM, I don't want to."

"I know. I'm going to make you walk to the bathroom, though. Come on." Mick got off the bed and dragged Beth over to the edge by her arms. He sat her up on the edge of the bed. "I'll help you. Here," he lifted her and held onto her, but didn't carry her. He wanted her to walk to wake up a little more. She shuffled with him into the bath and stood there, head bobbing, then leaned her head against him.

"MMMMMmmmm. You feel SO good, Mick."

He chuckled. "Well, that's good, sweetie, but can you go now?"

"Help me."

"Okay." He pulled her nightgown up and sat her down, let her pee, handed her tissue, and then she just sat there.

"Want help up too?"

"Please."

"Okay—wash hands?"

"Okay."

"Here you go," he said, turning on the tap, handing her the bar of soap, then handing her a towel.

"Now, let's go back." They shuffled back to the bed where Beth drank the other half of her glass of water. Mick got her back down on top of the bed and went to the kitchen to refill her glass with cold water from the 'fridge. He was leaning in, holding onto the door of the refrigerator, peering in and taking stock of what they had on hand. She'd need to eat something in the morning, so he guessed he could cook up the last two eggs and make some toast. There was still orange juice. She'd be okay. He was reaching for the water pitcher when he felt a hand reach between his legs and grab his sack. He jumped at least a foot in the air.

"AH!! Beth! I'm a vampire—doing that could be very dangerous! If I had reacted like you were some attacker, you'd be on the floor! With another head injury!"

"Well, you didn't really think it was someone else, did you Mick? I mean, I thought I was the only one who had access to the family jewels. It's only me, Mick." She giggled kind of drunkenly, and put her face in his chest. "MMMMM. I missed you." She smiled and he took her face in his hands and kissed her.

"You just startled me! I thought you were asleep!"

"I couldn't sleep. I'm hungry. But then when I saw you like **that**, and I thought I'd never seen such a LOVELY feast in my refrigerator before!"

"Ah! Beth! You're back! Good, honey!" he kissed her again. "What do you want to eat? Some toast?"

"Oh, that's boring." She looked down his naked body, enjoying the view.

"Well, it might be boring, but with your stomach, it would be good for you not to overdo it. No, you can't have that, Beth." He detached her groping hands and went to the stove, picked up her teapot, which he filled from the tap. He turned on the fire, then went to the toaster and put in two slices of bread. While he waited for things to toast and heat, he turned to look at her. She was sitting at the counter with her head leaning on one hand, gazing at him; or, rather, raking over him with her eyes.

"You are so beautiful, Mick," she sighed. I just want to touch you."

"I know, but you're going to eat your toast now," he plunked a plate down in front of her, "and you are going to drink your tea," he set a mug down by the toast, "and you're going to get to lie down with me as soon as you get done!"

"Great idea." She said as she took a bite. "Mick?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"You are so welcome. I'll always take good care of you, you know that, don't you?"

"I know you will." She ate and drank. Mick noticed it seemed to be going down pretty fast, and she wasn't sick, so that was good. "Mick?"

"What Beth?" he said softly, coming up behind her and putting his arms around her, listening to her chew.

"I'm going to always take care of you too."

Mick kissed her on the back of her neck. "I'm counting on that. You know, nobody has ever taken care of me before, so I'm really looking forward to it."

"I'm so sorry I spoiled the wedding." She turned into him and hugged his waist, putting her head against his chest. Mick was afraid she'd start crying.

"Beth! No problem! It's all worked out. Josef just rearranged everything so we're going next week instead of this week!"

"I wish we were married right now."

"I do too, honey, but it will be soon. A week. We can wait one little week, can't we?"

"I guess so," she sighed against his bare skin, her breath making his skin warm where she breathed on him, sending little tingles through him. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, putting her down, head on the pillow. He snuggled up behind her and put his head on her pillow too, as he pulled the light quilt over both of them. His arm went around her, hugging her close. This sure beat the freezer! He'd have to sleep sometime, but for now, he was happy.

"Mick?"she mumbled sleepily.

"What, my darling Beth?" Mick whispered into her ear.

"Be careful of my breasts. I don't know why, but they feel really sore. Maybe I fell on them too!"

He moved his arm down so it was around her belly. "Is that better?"

"It feels so good. I feel so safe." She sighed a huge sigh of contentment.

"Wonderful—get some sleep."

As Beth drifted off, Mick added things up in his head. Wine tastes funny, breasts are sore, today was definitely off—Well, he was definitely going to Google the early signs of pregnancy later! If Beth wasn't paying attention, he certainly was!

--

Ben looked at the lighted dial of his clock. After 5 a.m. and he hadn't slept at all. Tossing and turning, he couldn't get his mind to shut off. Beth wanted to marry St. John! That guy must be a fast worker! He knew she had known him for a while, but it wasn't all that long since Josh had died! He thought the two of them had been in a committed relationship! Maybe the buzz was wrong and St. John was in the middle of that relationship. Beth didn't seem to be the kind of person who would go off and marry the next guy who came along after losing her true love! She was not only beautiful, but also very smart! That's what had drawn him to her in the first place! He got up and put on his running clothes. If he couldn't sleep, he might as well run off this restlessness! He was going to have to find out what that list was, and who St. John really was—he had to go to Beth with some solid evidence or she wouldn't listen to him. Ah! Love surely was blind!

--

Josef readied himself for the freezer and thought again about Mick. If the guy truly had gotten Beth pregnant, he, Josef Kostan, would spend whatever it took to get that cure and get Simone pregnant as well. Of course, he'd have to tell her that he wasn't going to turn her right away—he wondered how she'd react. In fact, he wondered if she'd be up to the task of having a kid? What if she didn't want any rugrats? That would change everything. He supposed they could use a surrogate, but somehow, the idea of actually planting the seed was terribly appealing to him. Ah! Mick! If it wasn't one thing with him, it was another! Josef slipped into the cold dark and slept.

--

"Beth? Honey? It's six o'clock—are you awake?"

"Yeah, Mick. I've been awake for a few minutes. I'm just enjoying the feel of you behind me and I didn't want to move."

"I know the feeling. How about if you try to sleep a little bit longer, and while you do, I'll go get some things ready to make breakfast?"

"Mmmmm. That sounds great—I'm starving."

"Glad to hear it! Get comfortable now—I'm going to slip out. I'll come get you in an hour."

"Okay—I'll miss you!"

"Not if you're sleeping!"

Mick pulled on his jeans and shirt and padded barefoot to Beth's computer. He went to Google and typed in "early pregnancy, symptoms" and looked through the sites that came up. Hmmm.

Pregnancy tests that were 99 accurate 6-7 days after fertilization! Wow! He read on. There was something called a "rosette inhibition test" which showed if a substance called "EPF" was present, and this EPF would be present in the mother's plasma, cervical mucus and amniotic fluid! "Okay," he said to himself, thinking that could account for the different way she smelled and tasted. It seemed this stuff was detectable in humans fertilized 'in vitro' within 48 hours of fertilization. In some studies, EPF had been detected within 6 hours of fertilization! "Wow! I like that!" he told the monitor.

He read, 'It is assumed that the embryos themselves do not produce the EPF, but the mother's body produces it in response to becoming pregnant. It acts as an immunosuppressant, giving the mother a better chance that the fertilized egg would implant inside her womb.'

"Interesting." He said aloud, rubbing his chin.

Now, human pregnancy tests checked for hCG, which was only present after _implantation, _which takes place 6-12 days after fertilization. "Hmmmm. But the EPF is there HOURS after the deed is done! I KNEW it!" Mick clapped his hands together, thinking of how Beth he knew almost immediately that something about her was different, and this was probably why! He'd keep this to himself, but it seemed to prove that his senses were indeed very keen when it came to Beth. _His_ Beth, the mother of his child!

Mick looked at the time on the computer—quarter to seven. Time to make the eggs. He practically danced into the kitchen, broke the eggs into a bowl using the one-hand method, was humming as he put more bread into the toaster, and was surprised to turn around and find Beth looking at him with a funny smile on her face.

"Um—what's going on out here that is so enjoyable?" Mick flashed his little half smile at her that let her know something was up.

"Baby, I am going to make you the best scrambled eggs you've ever had in your life! Here, sit down—I've got orange juice and coffee right here—he set them down, then twirled around and poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan. He gave them a shove with the spatula, then went to butter the toast as it popped out. In a minute, he set the breakfast plate in front of her and smiled broadly. "At your service, beautiful!"

"Wow! You sure are in a good mood!"

"I am in an excellent mood! Make me happy and eat something now!"

Beth took a sniff of the coffee and put it down without taking a sip. She took a bite of eggs, then some toast. "Mmmm, thanks, Mick, but you don't have to wait on me!"

"I think I do! Any woman I have to pick up off of a men's room floor and take to the hospital gets to have a home-cooked breakfast the next day!"

Beth rolled her eyes. "That must have been so fun for you!"

Mick looked serious and leaned over the counter, gazing into her eyes. "It was scarier than being in the war, Beth. When you wouldn't wake up, I didn't know what to think."

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I remember what it was like when I thought you and Lenni had died. We weren't even together yet, but I thought my heart would break."

"Yeah, like that." His eyes penetrated. "I can't lose you, Beth. You were right—I'm the one who's afraid to get hurt—I'm the one who can't lose you. Remember after Josh died when you asked me if I'd have turned you?"

"You said you'd do the same thing. You'd let me die. Is that how you feel now?"

"No, and I didn't feel that way then, either. I didn't want you to hurt any more than you already were hurting, so I lied."

"So you would turn me?"

"I'd turn you because I'd be with you to help you, and we'd be together forever. You—are a part of me—Beth, and I guess you should know—I'd turn you in a second. I'll never let go."

"Then I guess you should know that if that happens, I'm okay with it. You'd be with me, and we'd be together, and that's really all I care about now."

"I'm so relieved!" Mick briefly touched his eyes, wiping away the visible relief. "I feel the same. But do you remember when you asked me why I went on living if I hated what I was so much?"

"Yes, I do remember, and you said you didn't know why."

"I didn't quite tell you the truth about that either, Beth. I couldn't tell you then. You were still crying for Josh!" He left the counter and turned, walking back and forth in the kitchen, two hands over his lips.

"What was the truth, Mick? What were you afraid to tell me?"

"That I lived for YOU. I had been living to watch over you ever since I rescued you! There was never a day in my life that I didn't think of you, wonder what you were doing, if you were happy. It was like my mission in life to be sure nobody ever scared you like that again!"

"Nobody did—I said to you that morning on your balcony that I knew I had found my guardian angel, and YOU are the reason I never was afraid! So if you lived for ME, I think that proves how right it is for us to be together, Mick. Just like you said, 'it's not about being a vampire or a human, it's about you and me, right here, right now!'"

Mick literally flew around to the other side of the counter and Beth jumped off of the chair and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, and they kissed for a long time.

"This is meant to be, Beth. Whatever our future holds. It's you and me now."

"Yes, Mick, it's just us."

--

"Hello, Victor? Josef Kostan. Yes, it's good to hear your voice as well. Me? Oh, I'm just great. And how are things in Paris these days? Ah, yes, springtime. I do remember. No, not a problem, really, just a request. If you hear of the whereabouts of Lance or Coraline-- Yes, that's right. You haven't heard of them or seen them lately, have you? Yes, they were over here not long ago. In fact, Coraline was here for many years, but it's my understanding that she's back in Europe with her brother. Yes—if you find out anything, please let me know. We'll do that soon! I do miss the café au lait there! Oui. Merci, mon frere."


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN - Scare**

The next day I was perfectly fine and went to work as usual. Mick had a couple of little cases to work on over the week, so we kind of went about our business as usual. I usually went over to his place after work and got him out of the freezer, which was always fun! He always wanted to get warmed up after his freezer time, and I was more than happy to take care of him!

Ben was very solicitous and professional toward me. It wasn't until the following Monday that he called me into his office.

"So, you're looking well, Beth. You saw your doctor and I trust everything is okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm just fine, Ben—thanks for being concerned. And thanks again for taking care of me when I was sick. That was really awful." I blushed slightly, remembering everything. Not something I'd ever be proud of! "So how are you doing? You look a little tired lately—you've been in court every day, so I suppose that's stressful!"

"Oh, no more than usual. I just haven't been sleeping very well, I guess. Must have too much on my mind." 'Yeah,' Ben thought, 'I keep thinking about you and I can't sleep!'

"I'm sorry—try milk and cookies before bed!" I flashed what I hoped was a charming smile at Ben, but he seemed immune to my charm at the moment.

Ben watched Beth smile at him and felt an unpleasant twist in his gut. "I've got to ask you if you're still planning to marry St. John."

"Well, of course I am," I said with conviction. "I told you last week that I was still going to need those two weeks off, and that begins the day after tomorrow."

Ben sighed and twisted in his chair. I noticed how he fiddled with the cuff on the leg of his pants as he sat with one leg across the other. He was upset and stalling, it seemed to me.

Ben thought back to all of the research he'd been doing since the day after Beth got sick and was frustrated that so little information had come to light. He'd been hoping to expose St. John's activity in something nefarious.

He leaned back in his big chair and said, "Are you aware of the fact that there's virtually no personal information on a Mick St. John in any records department in the State of California?" His eyes pierced me. "Does that bother you?"

"Well, no." I sighed and tried to act nonchalant. "Mick is a very good P.I., even you know that, and he certainly wants to keep any personal info out of the public realm, so I know he tries to be very private." My stomach felt heavy. Oh Please! I didn't want to get sick again!

"Still, all I could find is a Birth Certificate and a Facebook page. Do YOU know his history? Do you know what you're getting into?"

I really resented this third degree by my attorney/boss! "Ben! That's very rude! Of course I know! What's the matter—you didn't find out what that supposed "list" is? That's bothering you so much that it's making you be a--a jerk?" Ben looked daggers at me. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Now I think THAT is a bit harsh, Beth—"

"YOU are trying to discredit my husband—or—my husband in a couple of days! I think that's just so uncalled for!" I was fuming, and saw that Ben had his jaws locked; he was so tense. I could see the muscles twitching in his cheeks.

"All right. Fine. I have a very bad feeling about this marriage, but you're an adult and able to make your own mistakes."

"Well, thanks so much for that!" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I don't mean to be condescending, Beth," his manner softened. He looked at me with pain in his eyes that I couldn't interpret. "If you ever find you ARE in over your head with St. John, I hope you'll come to me because I'll help you out any way I can."

"That's both insulting and decent of you." I looked at him and saw he looked kind of forlorn. I wondered what that was about! I respected and liked Ben, but he had no right to interfere in my personal life!

"Okay, well, why don't you take off tomorrow as well. I'm sure you could use an extra day to get ready, and there isn't anything going on here that's pressing right now. I just have to get that drug dealer safely put away, and that's taking up all of my time right now." He stood up and so did I. Ben seemed in a hurry now to get me out of his office. He walked over to his door and opened it for me and said, "Good luck, Beth. I mean that. I hope this all turns out okay for you."

"It will, Ben. You'll get to know Mick better over time, and you'll see what a good man he really is." I smiled weakly and left.

As I walked out of the office building I was still wondering why Ben felt he had to be so difficult about this. Still, I was very glad to hear that Mick kept his Birth Certificate looking authentic. I supposed the vampire community had ways of dealing with public records. How strange to be involved with such a secret society! Now they would be part of my life! No more getting sent away if "vampire business" was going on in our place! By marrying Mick, I must be marrying into their "vampire nation" as well! I pushed through the double doors and let the sun shine on my face. It felt so good to be out of there!

'Just another perfect day in LA!' I thought as I walked to my car. I was always in a hurry to get to Mick's place after work! As I was unlocking my car, a man in black sweats with a cap pulled down low over his eyes came running by, bumped into me, hard, and in a low, threatening voice, said, "Watch out, pretty girl!" And off he ran. I was so startled and angry that I didn't move for a second, then quickly picked up my purse that I'd dropped and started running after him.

"Hey! Wait!" I shouted at him. "What did you mean? Stop!" I ran until I was winded. He was obviously in better shape than I was. I would never have caught him. I stood watching him blend into the shadows of the buildings as I wondered what he had meant. He was trying to scare me!

Omigosh! Had Ben sent him to try to scare me? Now I was livid! That was way out of line! I walked quickly back to the building, skipping the elevator, I ran up the stairs and went straight up to Ben's office. I barged right in on him—he was on the phone. I was still panting and probably looked disheveled and wild-eyed, and I saw alarm in his face as he quickly got off the phone. He got up and came over to me immediately.

"Beth! What is it? You look—like you've seen a ghost!" He put his hand on my arm and I shook it off.

"Did I? Ben—did I see a ghost? Or was it just one of your goons?" I was so mad and tired from running that I felt light-headed. I tried to breathe, but bent over to put my head down.

This time, when Ben put his hand under my arm, I didn't resist.

"Get over here and sit down!" He led me to a chair, where I bent over and put my head between my knees. "My gosh Beth! What happened! Are you all right?" His large hand was on my back, and it was comforting as I gulped air in and let the blood rush to my head. When I felt better a minute later, I sat up. I was looking into his eyes which were nothing but concern and fear. Seeing the stricken look on his face, I decided that he couldn't have pulled such a stunt, but if not him, then who would do that?

"I thought you had sent someone to scare me." I was still panting and I felt clammy and a little sick.

"What? What are you talking about? Beth! Talk to me!" His hand was on the arm of my chair. That was good. He could catch me if I fell over.

"I was getting into my car and some guy came running by me and crashed into me and told me I'd better be careful! I thought maybe you had him do that, considering our recent conversation!"

I felt light-headed again, and my I put my head back down. I certainly wasn't going to pass out on Ben for the second time in a week! I could hear Ben's breathing coming in stressed-out little puffs. I felt him put his hand back on me, large and warm, in the middle of my back.

"How could you even think I'd do such a thing! Beth! I was serious when I said I hoped this all turned out okay for you!" I heard him breathing hard. He was upset. I sat up again, feeling very pale.

"Well, if it wasn't you, who would do that to me? Scare me to death out in OUR parking lot!"

"Well, it certainly was NOT me! Tell me what this man looked like."

"He had on black sweats and a cap pulled down really low so you couldn't see his face. I saw him coming toward me, but didn't pay any attention to him until he was bearing down on me and ran right into me! And the way he said those words! It sounded threatening!"

"Tell me exactly what he said."

I was licking my lips and my throat felt very dry. Ben must have noticed. "Just a sec—I'll get you some water." He got up from kneeling by me and got a cold bottle from the refrigerator. I had a distinct sense of déjà vu. He held out the bottle and I grabbed it, gulping, feeling the cool water soothing my throat. Ben was simply waiting.

"I think he said, 'Watch out, pretty girl.' That's all he said, and he kept running. I ran after him, but I couldn't catch up."

"You ran after him? Beth! You can't be chasing down bad guys!"

I probably looked stupid. "Yeah, it was a bad idea, but I wanted to know what he meant."

"Well, I'm calling Security right now—we'll see if we can find him on the surveillance cameras."

He went to his desk and punched two numbers. "Yeah, Bill—can you come up—this is Ben—we've had an incident in the parking lot, so bring your forms with you. I'm going to be sure we get this looked into."

I slumped back in my chair, taking another swig of water. All I wanted was to get home to Mick! I decided I'd better call him and leave a message that I'd be late.

While Ben sat down, I dialed Mick and instead of getting his voice mail, he picked up. "Hi, honey. Are you on your way home?"

"OH, I wish! I was kind of attacked in the parking lot—I'm not hurt! I'm fine, but I have to fill out some forms."

He asked me where I was. "I'm in Ben's office. We're waiting for the Security guy to come up here. It shouldn't take long."

"I'll be right there," Mick said and hung up.

Bill came in looking worried. "What's this all about, Talbot? There was someone assaulted in the parking lot?" Ben nodded at me and I raised my hand.

"I wouldn't exactly say assault, but I did get hit pretty hard. . ."

Talbot's door burst open. Mick had gotten here in record time.

"What's going on? Beth! Are you okay?" Mick knelt in front of me. I smiled weakly and said,

"Don't worry, Mick, I'm fine." I felt hot under his close scrutiny.

"Hey, St. John, I'm not so sure how 'fine' she is—she's practically passed out here twice."

"What do you mean—Beth—what is going on?" His eyes were so full of concern that it choked me up.

"It's probably nothing, Mick. As I was starting to tell Bill here," Bill reached over and shook Mick's hand.

"I'm Bill Deal from the Security Department. Rest assured that we're going to get to the bottom of this."

"I hope so!" Mick said with a lot of emotion behind the statement.

"So, Miss Turner," Bill said, "You were telling me what happened. Could you start at the beginning?"

I took a breath and said, "Sure." Mick stood up and put an arm on my shoulder. I looked up at him and put my hand over his. He nodded, as if saying, 'I'm here, so everything is all right.'

I began, "There's not much to tell, really. I was walking to my car in the outdoor lot. It was such a nice day, I wasn't paying any attention to what was going on around me, I just kind of had my face up to the sun, so the attacker completely surprised me. I got to my car and was just about to open the door when a man wearing black sweats and a black cap pulled down low over his eyes ran up to me and then he ran right into me! He almost knocked me over, but I didn't fall, just dropped my purse."

Ben said, "And tell Bill what this guy said to you."

"Oh, well, he said, 'Watch out, pretty girl,' and then he ran off. I chased him for a while, but he was really running fast. When I knew I wouldn't catch him, I came right in here and told Ben."

Bill was writing furiously. "So you couldn't see any facial features?"

"No. But I'd say he was about 5 feet 10, less than six feet, maybe a hundred sixty, hundred seventy pounds. I think he was white or Hispanic, and his hair was long and black, kind of curly, from what I could see under his cap. He wasn't skinny, but he was bulky when he hit me. Maybe he was muscular, but I couldn't be sure, due to his being covered up."

"Did you see his shoes?"

"Only that they were once white and now pretty old and gray."

"Okay, very observant, Ms. Turner. That will help when we scan through the videos."

Mick squeezed my shoulder. "Do you need us for anything else? Or can I take her home?"

"Here, Ms. Turner, just read this over and sign if it's accurate." Bill handed me the incident report. I read over what he had written, which was exactly what I had told him, so I signed the sheet and handed it back.

"If you remember anything else, let me know. Here's my card. Or tell Ben. I'm sure you know his number."

"I will, and thanks. Can we go now?"

Bill looked at Ben, who shrugged. "Yeah, Beth, get out of here. Just be careful." He looked at Mick and said sternly, "You'd better keep a good watch over her. I'm still not sure she's steady on her feet."

"Yeah, I got her." Mick said, picking up my bag and lifting me out of the chair. "Let's go, honey."

We left the office and Mick punched the button for the elevator to go down. Then he encircled me in his arms. "Beth, I'm so glad you're okay. I love you so much." He kissed me, a kiss of relief and possession. Nobody was going to hurt his woman! I knew how his mind worked. If that guy ever did show up, God help him! The elevator was slow, so we waited, me leaning on Mick, Mick with his arm strong and steady around me.

--

Ben was watching from the glass in his office door. He could see their reflection in the big mirror on the wall across from the elevator doors. He felt strange watching Beth kissing St. John. Geez, that whole thing really had caught him off guard, and he was usually pretty good at not getting caught off guard!

--

We walked out the front door and Mick put his arm around my back. Where's your car?"

"Over there," I pointed. He took me by the elbow and started out in that direction.

"Show me where you were standing when he hit you." We walked over to the driver's side and I showed him where I was when I had caught my first glimpse of the man, and how he had just crashed into me right on this spot.

"Okay, so you were standing right here, huh?" I nodded. Mick sniffed the air and looked around. I wondered what images he was seeing.

He looked at me, and an alarm bell rang in my head. "What is it, Mick? What are you seeing?"

"Beth--we have to be really careful of this one. This wasn't just random. This guy targeted you specifically."

A chill went up my spine and I shivered. I looked at Mick who was taking in everything around us with all of his keen senses. I silently thanked God for his superior abilities, but I was definitely getting very scared.

"Why? You're scaring me, Mick!"

"I think we should be scared. It's not so much what I see here, but what I smell. In fact, I could smell it on you in Talbot's office. This guy is a vampire."

I put a hand over my mouth to stifle what might be a scream. I was trembling. Mick put his arms around me and held me close. "Don't worry, honey. I'm not going to let this guy or anyone else get to you. Can you think of anything that's happened in the past week or so that would make you a target?"

"I got engaged to you." I said it softly and slowly, and the statement just hung in the air like a bad smell. I could tell Mick was upset.

"You did, and this was a vampire, so that does kind of make you wonder if there's a connection." He paused, thinking. "Hey, Talbot mentioned some list? Do you know what that is?" He looked at me, assessing my agitated state. "Wait—don't tell me now—you're shaking and I want to get you into the car. Come on."

We walked to his car with his arm firmly around me. He opened the door for me and locked it after I got in. Taking no chances, I guessed. Then he went around an unlocked his door. As he got in, he slid over to me and kissed me. "Ah, I've been wanting to kiss you all day, and that little one by the elevator wasn't enough. I can't ever get enough of you, Beth." Soon we were in each other's arms, making up for the hours we had been apart. I had never known a love like this! So giving, yet I wanted so much back! We kissed until it was getting to the point where we'd have to get into the back seat, or try to wait until we got home. I pulled back and gave Mick a little smile. His eyes were a little glassy-looking.

"Hey, lover, I get tomorrow off. Have any ideas about what we can do?"

His head went back and he laughed softly. "Oh, I could keep you busy all day and all night, but I have to finish up my case before we take off for two weeks! Want to come along?"

"What are you doing?"

"Just sitting in a restaurant listening to people. It's kind of surveillance. A guy hired me to see if his daughter is living with her boyfriend. I guess he really hates the boyfriend! They're going to be having lunch together tomorrow. All you'd have to do is sit and eat while I listen."

"Sounds do-able—lately I just love to eat! You've got a date!" I smiled and so did he. "It'll kind of be like the old days--us going on a case together. I like that."

"Good!" Mick started up the car. He was thinking that this was more than good. There was no way he was leaving Beth all by herself tomorrow!

"What about my car?" I asked. "Should we just pick it up after lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Good idea. Let's get home now."

On the way home, I told Mick what I knew about the list, which wasn't much. He was upset when I told him that Emma and Jackson were both on it, but were crossed out. I told him that he and Josef were on it, but not crossed out. I didn't know who else was on it, and I hadn't had any luck finding it in Talbot's office, which I had rifled through every chance I had gotten.

"Well, it's definitely something I'll have to investigate further when we get back from our honeymoon. For now, let's try not to think about it too much." His hand lwas lying over mine, and he gave mine a squeeze.

We went back to Mick's place, where he grilled me a nice little filet and served it with a salad and baked potato, with some grilled asparagus on the side. I could smell garlic in the asparagus and raised my eyebrows. He smiled, serving me up a glass of ice water. "Don't worry about the garlic. I promise not to complain about garlic breath!"

"You promise?" I asked as I took a huge bite, smiling back.

"Absolutely. And it won't even repel me!" He laughed and watched me eat as he sipped from his glass. He sat down next to me at the table. "Is it okay?"

"Mmmmmm. Wonderful, but I feel bad about eating steak in front of you—I know you used to love it!"

"I did, but now I have something even better!" I looked at him quizzically. "I have you to watch enjoying it for me!"

I rolled my eyes. "I told you you'd get tired of watching me eat!"

"And I said?" I just smiled at him, chewing. "I said 'I hope so,' and I meant that then, and I mean it even more now."

"Mick, you are the absolute sweetest man on earth." My eyes kissed him and his kissed me back. The eye contact between us was always charged with an electric current that I felt from my head to my toes. I kept eating while we adored each other with our eyes. When I was done, Mick picked up my plate and took it to the sink, then came back and sat down next to me again.

"I don't want to upset you, Beth, but Talbot said you were on the verge of passing out today. I thought the doctor gave you the 'all clear!' So what's this passing out thing? Do you always pass out when Talbot is around?" He kind of smirked, then went serious.

"Oh, yeah, he just makes me pass out all day long. It gets _really _tiresome trying to do my job while I'm on the floor!"

"That sounds difficult. But seriously, honey, I want to know what happened."

"I ran after that guy who bashed into me, and I guess I got a little winded, and then I ran up the stairs to Ben's office instead of taking the elevator, so up three flights of stairs, and being all upset and chasing the guy, it just made me feel light-headed."

"Do you think this is still related to your getting sick last week? Or is this something new? I've been around you a lot in the past year, Beth, and you don't faint, from what I've observed."

He was so serious that he actually made me think about what he was saying. I'd passed it off as stomach virus, but it was a little strange.

"I don't really know, Mick. I was thinking I was over the being sick, but today I thought—maybe not."

"Can I ask you something terribly personal?" his eyes were boring into me, but I could tell he was just a little uncomfortable. What was this?

"Mick, you can ask me anything! Anytime! My gosh! I can't keep anything from you!" I took a swallow of my water and looked at him. He had a kind of odd look on his face that gave me a few butterflies in my stomach.

"Okay, I was just wondering when you're due to get your period."

I know my eyes went a little wide. I felt kind of bad having to give him the news. "It's bad timing, Mick, but the day after the wedding, actually." I was sorry about that, but what could we do? Nothing.

"And I'm pretty sure you're not on the Pill?"

"No, I can't take any of them. They all make me really sick. I get panic attacks from the hormones."

"Have you felt panicky at all lately? I don't mean today, just, anytime before today. Since we've been together."

"Well, yeah, actually. I have been feeling little panic attacks just here and there. I thought it was just wedding jitters. Why?"

"Humor me here, Beth," he said matter-of-factly and drummed his fingers on the table. When he looked back at me, my stomach lurched. He had such a look of love and longing in his eyes! I felt weak.

"What is it, Mick?" I whispered.

He leaned over to me and put his forehead against mine, and took my hands in his. A very intimate closeness came over me, caressing, drawing me to him, like he was pulling me into him. I concentrated on breathing. Something was going on in his mind; I had no idea what.

"Beth, I think we should get a pregnancy test." I looked at our hands together, felt his breath on my face, and suddenly a ray of clarity shot through my brain. Of course! The coffee? The wine? My sore breasts? I never had sore breasts!

"You know something, Mick. You know, don't you?"

He pulled his head away from mine, but kept a hold of my hands. His look was honest and open. "Honey, I don't know for sure, but you don't like wine or coffee, and that's not normal for you! And I'm not sure how to say this, but-- you taste a little bit different to me."

"I taste different? How different?" This was disturbing, somehow.

"You taste exquisite. You always do to me, your skin, the way you smell and taste, I love it—it's just that now, you smell and taste even better. It's a subtle change, but I notice things like this! I know it doesn't prove anything, but I just wondered--How about if we try a pregnancy test?"

I felt my eyes tearing up and I reached out for him. He simply pulled me onto his lap where I buried my face in his neck and sobbed. He held me there, picking up my napkin and drying my tears, the ones that hadn't drenched his shirt. He held the napkin out to me. I looked up at him and he nodded. "Go ahead. It's washable."

So, I blew my nose into his nice cloth napkin and wiped my face . "Oh Mick! You think it's really possible, don't you! You think I might be—"

He held me close, turning my face to look into his. We were a breath apart. I felt he was looking straight into my heart. "I'm hoping, Beth. I'm just hoping and praying that you are, and I'm hoping that's okay with you, honey. Like I said, I never, ever expected this to. . ."

I put my finger on his lips. "Shhhhh. Mick—I'm so stupid! I didn't even think of the symptoms! I really didn't think this would happen, but, OH, Mick! If I could give you a baby!" I got teary again and hugged his neck again, the dampness from before still there. We just sat there, silent for several minutes.

"You're happy then? If it's true?" he said so quietly I could barely hear him.

"Of course I'm happy! I'm ecstatic! I couldn't love you more, Mick, and if this is true, it just somehow adds to the miracle of our love!" I smiled through my tears and watched as his eyes also got moist. Suddenly, he stood up with me in his arms and walked to the bedroom.

I woke up in his arms. He slept. Our lovemaking had been so sweet, so gentle, so giving, so amazing. I felt loose all over, like I'd just been to a day-long spa massage or a marathon whirlpool treatment. I was getting used to having this fabulous sex every day! I could hardly remember what it was like before Mick! But then, yeah, I could remember, and this was SO much better!

I looked at him and wanted to cry again just watching him sleep! He was so perfect, so handsome and manly and such a delight to my eyes. I soaked him in as he slumbered, seeing the shadows of his impossibly long eyelashes resting on his cheeks, his beautiful nose, manly and straight with just a little downturn at the tip, just the right size. I looked at his lips, so wonderfully formed with the little cupid's bow on top, and the bottom lip so full and lush and kissable. If he hadn't been asleep, I'd have had to nip and suck on that bottom lip. Love for him overwhelmed me. Oh, I hoped I could give him a baby that looked exactly like him. Before I cried again, I snuggled into his chest and fell asleep.

Lunch would have been boring, but since I got to watch Mick the whole time, it wasn't. Oh, would I ever get tired of looking at him? I thought not. My salad was good, but I couldn't drink the coffee, as had become usual for me. After our little talk last night, I was thinking this wasn't just a little residual from that stomach virus last week. I hoped Mick was right. I needed to get a pregnancy test. I also worried about the wedding and our trip. I didn't want to feel sick!

After lunch, Mick took me to my car in the parking lot at work and spent at least ten minutes checking it over from top to bottom, and finding nothing wrong with it, he said he'd let me drive it home. I told him I needed to stop at the store for a few things on the way home, and he said that was fine, but I was supposed to call him if I even felt a hint of anything being out of place! I was a little surprised that he let me go off on my own, since he'd been so overprotective since my "incident!" I picked up some toothpaste and some energy bars to take with me on the trip. I also got three pregnancy tests, all different brands. I guessed it wouldn't hurt to be cautious. I was disappointed to see that they all wanted my first pee of the morning for best accuracy, so I'd have to wait until tomorrow!. Oh, well. One more day of waiting wasn't so bad, especially since I hadn't even thought about the possibility until Mick brought it up!

As I walked to my car, I caught his eye. Sure enough--watching over me! I waved and got into my car. He followed me home.

That night I packed up my things for the trip. Josef and Simone came over for a short while. Simone was so excited, and I was actually happy they would be coming along to stand up for us! We all talked, excited and happy. Mick and Josef had their drinks, Simone had wine, and I had mineral water with a lime twist. We discussed flying on a private jet, and how I had never been on one! They all assured me it was nothing like flying commercial! No lines, no security checks, no hassle! How cool was that!

Mick and Josef were discussing the details of our stay at the Wynn, and that's when I learned that Simone and I would have our own suite of rooms, and Mick and Josef would have the same with two Jacuzzi tubs filled with ice! Mick wanted us to be in separate rooms until after the wedding! Simone and I laughed and rolled our eyes at each other, but it was set—no sleeping with Mick after tonight until he and I were officially hitched! Simone was totally into being my "bridesmaid," and said she had something borrowed for me. I wasn't sure yet what I'd find that was blue. After they left, I headed for the bathroom to pack up more of my things. What would I need for two weeks! It was a long time to plan ahead for!

I thought about the no-sleep rule, and I had to admit, it was kind of charming to have my "old school" Mick thinking of these more traditional things. I thought back to how he had proposed to me naked on my bed and shook my head remembering. He had been so cute, being so aroused, and yet having to get things worked out with me before we did the deed! He had to be sure that we would get married!. He didn't want to just have SEX with me—he wanted to be sure I knew that making love for the first time was the beginning of our life together. I sighed. He was so romantic! I wondered, though, if the sex had been awful, would he have bailed on me? I was giggling to myself when he came into my room.

"What?" He asked as he slipped his arms around me.

"Ah, I was thinking about how you proposed to me."

"Oh, out on the balcony?"

"No, in my bed, naked, about an inch from the, ah, the point of no return?"

He laughed behind me and kissed the top of my head. "I knew the sex would be great. I loved you so much, and I was so excited to be with you—I just had to be sure you wouldn't sleep with me and dump me!"

I turned around and looked up into his eyes. They were soft pools of emotion. "You knew I'd never 'dump' you, silly!" I said, touching him lightly on his cheek.

"Well, it was YOU—I had to be sure I wasn't going to lose my heart in that bed and then have you run off with it, hypothetically speaking, that is." He picked up my hand and kissed my fingers. He was holding me again from behind as he went on. "You see, I might not have a beating heart like you do, but you're such a big part of me now. I knew that would happen, making love to you. I couldn't give such a big piece of myself away without knowing it would stay with me always."

I turned in his arms, got up on my tip-toes and kissed him, sweet, soft, reassuring. I put my arms around his solid male body. Holding him, kissing him, I knew that piece of himself would be with me always, as would the part of me I had given to him. We'd be together always because there was simply no other way for either of us to survive. I pulled back and his eyes looked so sweetly into mine.

"It seems so inadequate to say this, Mick, but I love you with all of my heart."

He hugged me to his chest. "Thank God for that," he whispered into my hair.

--

Somewhere in the city, dark forms huddled in a dark room.

"He is tying himself to a human. This is definitely not good for us."

"I warned her," said a man in the back.

"I'm not sure a simple warning is enough. We'll have to keep a close watch on them. If anything should happen with the human, who happens to be working for the the District Attorney, where she is even hinting at giving away our secret, she will need to be immediately terminated."

All nodded in agreement.

All heads nodded in agreement.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN –Circles, Lines and Signs**

I woke up just as the sun was rising. I opened one eye and looked at the clock, glowing in the still-dark room. Mick was gone. I got up and put on my robe, went over to the door and peeked out. Mick was busy at my computer, so I went into the bathroom and shut the door. I pulled the pregnancy tests out from under my dirty clothes in the hamper, sat down and peed on all of them, setting them on tissue on the side of the tub while I washed my hands and face. I dried my face with a hand towel and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't look different, I thought, turning my head this way and that. I did feel premenstrual, which might not be good, but then, if I were pregnant, I supposed I could explain that full feeling I had another way. The tests all said they would take a few minutes. It was all I could do not to peek. I decided to leave them there for a minute while I went out to tell Mick what I was doing.

I opened the door and a tiny scream escaped me. Mick was standing right there like a brick wall. Shaken, I looked up at him as he stood in my bathroom door.

"Hi—I was just--coming to say good-morning to you!" I kissed his cheek.

"And I was just checking to see if you were up—I guess we have a lot to do today!" He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something going on here that I should know about?"

"Are you a psychic vampire now?" I asked him, raising my own eyebrows. He took a step back.

"Huh. I don't know—I just had a feeling I can't explain."

"Okay, Mr. Psychic. I was just coming to get you so you could be in on this. I'm waiting for the results of the pregnancy test."

His eyes lit up. "You got a pregnancy test?"

"Yeah, yesterday, actually I got three of them. They're processing. They should be about done."

"So—are you going to look?" he was animated and antsy, while my stomach did back flips.

"I'm feeling kind of—I don't know--why don't you look? They're on the bathtub." I pointed. He looked over my shoulder, behind me, and saw them and caught his breath.

"I'll just wait on the bed," I said softly as I pushed past him and went and sat down. He went into the bathroom. The truth was, I was terribly nervous. I didn't know how I'd react, to the results, but pretty much figured I'd cry either way. Best to let Mick handle it. He was cooler in tense situations than I was.

"What am I looking for?" he called out from the bathroom.

"Well," I called back to him, "a plus sign, two pink lines, and a circle. I don't know if any of them will work yet. . .it might be too early."

He was standing in the door, all three tests in one hand. "If I see a plus sign, two lines and a circle, what does that mean?"

"Any one of those signs would mean the test is positive." I sat shaking. "Are they done yet? What do they say?"

He stood as though paralyzed. "Okay" he said, breathing unevenly, "just to be sure, those signs mean the test is positive, and positive means what?"

"It means I'm PREGNANT, Mick!" I stood up now, too anxious to sit. He was looking at them all again, then a huge smile broke out that lit up his face.

"WHAT!!" I shouted, jumping up and down now. He ran over to me and picked me up and twirled me around, kissing me, kissing my face. "We're pregnant Beth! We're gonna have a baby!" He was SO excited I thought he might drop me, but then again, no, not MY vampire daddy! He was holding me tightly, tests in his hand behind my back.

"Let me see! Let me see!!" I squealed breathlessly. He put me down and handed the three wands over, and sure enough! There were the lines, the circle and the plus. All three of them agreed—I was definitely pregnant! I grinned up at him and the smile on his face was so elated that I wondered if he'd ever be able to stop smiling! I threw the tests on the bed and hugged him, very, very hard. He hugged me back, and we stayed there, in our silence, thanking God and the Universe for this amazing miracle.

"Oh, Beth, I love you so much! I can't believe this! This is so—amazing and wonderful!" He looked into my eyes, so happy and excited, like a little boy at Christmas who just got everything he'd ever wanted. "Oh, Beth! Honey, I—I don't even know what to say! I want to make love to you, but I think I'd make us late for the trip!"

I laughed against his chest. We were both so happy and relieved. This was really happening! I wanted to jump up and down and scream! I looked into his face, full of awe and joy, and I touched his cheek lightly. "I'd love to stay in bed all day, but that would be irresponsible, wouldn't it?"

"It would, and now that we're going to be parents, I'm feeling even more strongly that we should be _married_ parents, so let's just get there and let me make an honest woman of you, okay?" He lifted me off the floor again and kissed me. "This is just the best news ever, Beth. Well, the next best news—the first was that you'd marry me, and now this!" I climbed up his tall body and wrapped my legs around his waist, put my arms around his neck, and kissed him solidly. He took off with me clinging to him and did a little dance around the apartment, then backed me up to a wall and kissed me like he'd never stop! "MMMMMMMMM! You taste divine! You taste good enough to be my wife—how about if we fly to Vegas, like right now, and just DO it?!"

"Fine with me." My heart was beating fast against him and he couldn't stop hugging me. "I do have to take a shower, though, would you care to join me? DADDY!"

I disentangled myself from him, jumped down and ran into the bathroom turning on the water, throwing my robe off, and getting in under the hot water. Mick came right after me, his jeans halfway off, looking adorable, throwing his clothes on the floor with my robe, and getting under the water with me. I'm surprised we got clean at all! We couldn't stop hugging and kissing, but eventually we were soaped and rinsed. Oh, it was going to be a GREAT day!

After we toweled each other off, I blew my hair dry, put on a little makeup and got dressed. Mick was out in the kitchen making me a light breakfast of an egg and toast. Instead of coffee, he'd made me tea, which was sweet of him. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I ate my breakfast and kept my eyes locked on his, which were smiling back at me as he watched me eat. We were in our own little happy place, and I don't think anything short of a nuclear attack could have shaken our joy.

At nine o'clock sharp, a limousine showed up outside my door. We brought our things out and had them loaded into the trunk, then slid into the sleek interior, buckled in and cuddled as we went to pick up Josef and Simone, who were, we found out when we got to Josef's place, running a little late. We didn't mind a bit having a little more time to ourselves! More time to kiss and smile and enjoy our little secret for a few more minutes!

Too soon, the door opened and in they came! "HI! Anybody here want to go get married?" Simone asked loudly and happily as she slid into limo with Josef right behind her. I noticed that he was looking particularly handsome in casual wear, something I rarely saw him in.

"WE ARE READY!" Mick and I said in unison, beaming at our friends, beaming at each other. The limo took off for the executive airport at LAX while Josef broke out champagne and offered the first toast: "To Mick and Beth—may this be the first of a million billion fun days ahead for you both! I took a glass and a sip, but left the rest.

Josef's eyes were scrutinizing us, and we probably weren't all that hard to read! Mick couldn't stop smiling, whether at me or Josef or Simone or out the window!

"Ah, is it my imagination, or are you two looking like you have a huge secret you are hiding from the world?" Josef asked us, a little knowing smile curling each side of his mouth.

"Vampires are so inquisitive!" I said.

"And so intuitive!" said Josef, looking at us. Simone looked a little puzzled, but kept on sipping her champagne, poking Josef in the arm when she needed a refill. "So, you two lovebirds who look more like the cats who swallowed the bats, what's new?"

Mick and I looked at each other. He raised an eyebrow at me and I nodded back at him.

"All right!" Mick said, raising his glass. "Now I'm going to propose a toast!" I giggled and raised my glass, as did Josef and Simone. "First, I want to say thank you to our friends who are here with us, coming along to Las Vegas to share in our happiness as we get married," he nodded to Josef and Simone. They both smiled and nodded back, looking as though they were waiting for what was coming next.

Then Mick looked at me again, his smile turning to something much more full of emotion, "I also want to toast my bride-to-be," he said, a tiny bit choked with emotion, but continued on, "not only is she the most beautiful woman in the world," he hesitated only a second, here, then dropped the bombshell: "but she is also the most beautiful mother-to-be ever!" He leaned over and kissed me sweetly, and we each took a sip of champagne looking into each other's eyes. Then I looked over at Josef and Simone, who looked so stunned it was funny! Simone's eyes were as big as saucers, and Josef's were squinty slits. Simone gushed forth first.

"MY GOSH! Congratulations, you two! What a surprise!"

"You can say that again," Mick said kind of shyly but his elation was still evident as he looked at me again, mouthing 'thank you.'

I nodded. He knew I wanted to keep our secret for a few weeks, but I also knew how important it was for him to tell Josef.

Simone nudged Josef, who cleared his throat and raised his glass. "To the two people we love most right now, for figuring out how to re-write the rules of vampire love." We clinked glasses on that one.

The ride went fast, with Simone talking nonstop and Mick and I just enjoying the feel of being close to each other. The car pulled into the far corner of LAX and stopped in front of an amazing piece of machinery. I don't know jets, but this one was beautiful.

"Josef! She is gorgeous!"

"Why thank you, Mrs. St. John. Lots of gorgeous here today! Allow me to show you inside!" I beamed at him. "I can't wait!"

Hmmmm. 'Mrs. St. John—I loved the sound of that! Beth St. John. Wow!'

Josef led the way, and we followed him up the stairs. I gasped when I saw the interior! It was so luxurious you could live in it! We oohed and ahhed as Josef showed us quickly around, pointing out the restroom, which looked both beautiful and very inviting! We shook the hands of the pilot and the steward, who was busy in the galley. He then showed Mick and me to our seats, which were plush and deep, and sitting on them felt more like sinking into an expensive loveseat; we strapped ourselves in and clasped hands.

We were on one side of the plane with a shiny walnut table in front of us, Josef and Simone sat on the other side of the table. We were served refreshments and snacks, which were delicious, and Mick and I talked the whole way there.

It wasn't a very long flight to Vegas, and we taxied to a spot where there were a lot of other private jets and where another limousine, this one from the Wynn, waited for us. It seemed we were at the Wynn in just a few minutes. Actually, I think it was only ten minutes or so! I was definitely liking private jets and limousines!

At the Wynn, we were escorted to our suites, which were larger than two of my apartments put together. Simone and I were across the hall from Mick and Josef, and we quickly looked over the divine luxury of our suite, putting our luggage hastily in our rooms, then we had to run out the door so we wouldn't be late going shopping!

We were escorted out of a private entrance/exit, back to the limo, which took us to the exclusive and very new Palazzo shops right next to the Venetian. We were met at the door by an entourage who were there to escort us to our various shopping sites. Mick kissed me good-bye as the men's' valet took off with him and Josef, heading for Barney's, it looked like, and the women escorted Simone and me to the luxurious Diane von Ferstenberg boutique, where we met our bridal stylist! A stylist! Who knew!

"This is so fun!" Simone whispered, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with her.

"This is so unexpected!" I whispered back.

We were taken to the 'private showing suite,' which was lmore luxury and beauty, full of mirrors and step-up platforms for us to swish and preen on. There was a buffet set out for us, with piles of fresh fruit, which I devoured little by little, along with assorted cheeses, breads and mineral water for me, with yet more champagne for Simone. Women brought beautiful dresses in for us to say "yes" (will try on) or "no" to, and soon we each had a rack of glorious designer gowns waiting for us!

I swallowed and got up as my personal dresser beckoned me over to my rack. About the third dress in, I knew I had it. The dress just felt so right, and Simone agreed—it was perfect! It was clingy enough to be sexy, but not tight, elegant, swishy and wonderful. Simone chose a Stella McCartney in navy blue that looked smashing on her. The fitters pinned us after we had chosen our shoes, (which were brought to us to try on with the dresses!) I chose some strappy white ones with little rhinestone studs down the heel, and I tried hard not to gasp when I saw the price on the box! The shoes went perfectly with the diamond necklace and earrings Simone was going to loan me so I'd have my "borrowed" part covered. They showed us lingerie, and I chose a few items I liked that were pretty darn sexy! Not really ME, but I thought Mick would appreciate them! The ladies bagged up my stockings, shoes, lingerie, a bra to wear under the dress, and Simone even talked me into some lacy underwear that I couldn't resist, and, of course, the garter. I felt like a princess!

I asked our guide about something I HAD to buy—a ring—and she made a call. Within five minutes, we had a jeweler spreading out an array of rings in Mick's size, all white gold or titanium, no silver! I chose a beautiful polished white gold band that was elegantly plain with tiny yellow gold edges. That was wrapped and put in my lingerie bags. Now I felt I had everything! Well, except something blue! Simone and I talked about that. We'd have to try to find something!

We were so happy and chatted as we strolled over to meet our guys at "Table 10," a trendy new restaurant, for lunch. Simone was talking about the whole experience, and Josef looked very pleased with himself!

"Thank you, so much, Josef," I said sincerely. "I've never felt like a princess before today! I'm overwhelmed!"

He just looked sweetly at me and said, "Hey, Valentino is not too good for you, Beth! I want you to have a dream wedding! This guy here," he nodded at Mick, "is like a brother to me—the only brother I have. If I can't do something nice for my brother and his new wife, then I don't deserve either one of you. Now order! Emerill Lagasse is a superb chef, so I'm sure anything you choose will be excellent!"

A waiter was immediately at our table and we all ordered—Simone and I selected lunch items, and Josef and Mick chose their favorite Scotch from among the long list of offerings.

Josef leaned over toward me and said a little bit under his breath, "Beth—I think you might be surprised tomorrow—our Mick is actually going to look elegant!" Mick gave him a look that was amused.

"So I usually look that BAD?" he asked his friend.

"He always looks elegant to me!" I laughed. "Except when he's looking totally HOT!" Mick just looked shyly pleased and winked at me.

"Josef is right, though, Beth—you may not recognize me! He's even taking me to a barber for a shave and a haircut!"

"OH NO!" Simone and I both burst out. We looked at each other and started talking at the same time. "You can't let them cut Mick's hair! It's gorgeous!" Simone gushed.

"Hey, Josef," I said shaking my fork at him, "be sure it's just a little shape-up, not a cut! Okay?"

"Hey! I heard you! And if he gets a shave today, he should be appropriately stubbled by tomorrow, ladies, so don't worry—he will be ruggedly handsome for his wedding photos! I guarantee it!"

"Well, that's fine, then," Simone said. "Beth and I are going to the spa for facials and nails, but tomorrow our hair people are coming to the hotel to do us up right!" She smiled and patted my leg. I had never felt so pampered, and I was loving it.

"My gosh! We don't have to go to them? They're coming to US?" It was hitting me little by little how easy everything was when you didn't care how much it cost!

I looked at Mick, whose eyes were penetrating and deep. "I think we owe Josef a HUGE thank you for all of this, Sweetie!" I nodded, truly overwhelmed. My beautiful dress would be delivered tomorrow, along with Simone's, all adjustments made. The flowers were coming to our suite as well, and everything would be flawless and perfect.

"I'm so overwhelmed Josef! That you would do this for us!"

Little did I know--the biggest surprise of all was still coming!

"I suppose you're wondering what the wedding chapel looks like?" Josef asked us. Mick and I kind of shrugged and nodded.

"I'm sure it will be lovely," I said.

"Well, Steve, Wynn, you know, the owner here, has insisted that we be married on his balcony, which is, even as we speak, being decorated for the occasion! I told him to just go ahead, if that's all right with you, Mick—Beth—what do you think? I imagine you'll have a heavily flowered arch, and it will be just like your fairy tale, Beth, since you ARE the princess of the day!"

I was pretty much speechless. Mick nodded at his friend. "Thanks, man. This is really special. I hope I can do something to repay you someday!"

Josef looked him in the eye, then looked at Simone, and said rather seriously, "I think you will!" Mick and I exchanged glances, Simone just smiled, and Josef took another sip of his Scotch.

Simone and I left in the limo and went back to the Wynn, leaving our men to get prepped by the barber. They told us they wouldn't bother us while we had our spa treatments--they were going to the casino when they returned! Simone and I retired to our suites, awaiting our massages, manicures and pedicures, and facials. We chatted about this and that, never getting serious while we were "in treatment!" I actually fell asleep during my hot rock massage! And then again during my facial! Wow! I hadn't known how tired I was!

We stayed up late. We had the fire going in the fireplace and were sipping our wine/ sparkling pear juice, enjoying getting to know each other better. It felt like a slumber party with only two girls! We ordered room service at midnight for a snack. We played around with the sound system, which went out onto the balcony where we had a nice, hot Jacuzzi tub.

"That spa is looking good to me," Simone said after we had polished off quite a bit of the food, and I agreed. We put on suits, grabbed towels and got in. The water was hot, but not so hot you couldn't stay in it for a while. I felt my muscles all relaxing even more, as I let the jets float me on the swirling water.

"Ah, this is great!" I said, sighing and relaxing.

"You said it! After all the packing, and the long day shopping, this is just what we need!"

I laughed. "Yeah, the massages and facials really wore me out!"

We giggled and sank into the bubbles and were silent for a while. There were stars in the sky that were dimmed a bit by all of the lights from the Strip. We had a beautiful view of the valley, looking eastward, and peace settled into my bones, along with eager anticipation for tomorrow. I imagined what Mick would look like dressed up in his finery! And how fun it would be to take that lovely suit off of him! I had to stop myself. I couldn't see him tonight! Ah well! Hopefully I'd sleep. What a day it had been!

I slid out of the water and sat on the rim of the tub for a while. The air was cool with the desert breezes blowing at a good clip. I didn't want to raise my core temperature—it would be bad for the baby, so I was going to sit it out for a while.

Simone seemed in a zone of her own, floating with her eyes closed, head on the rim of the tub, arms out like she was on a cross. She was blissfully quiet. Until she started talking again!

"So, Beth, I have to ask you something," she was talking while floating with her eyes closed, so I couldn't read her face.

"What do you want to know Simone?"

"Are you happy to be pregnant, for one, and _how_ did you GET pregnant for another! I'm just dying to know! Mick can't father children, so what is the happy news about? Did you two do artificial insemination? I'm sorry if I'm prying, but I _am_ an attorney!"

"Ah, no, Simone! That's fine! Of course, you and Josef are the only people we're going to tell until I pass my first trimester." I took a large sip of my drink. "It's pretty much of a miracle, actually." I swirled my pear juice. She climbed out and sat on her side of the tub with her feet dangling in the water. She took a sip of wine and watched me.

I smiled a secret smile and she caught me. "You ARE happy about this, aren't you?" she said sounding a little amazed.

I nodded. "I'm so happy I can hardly stand it! See, vampires can't have babies! I never thought this would happen, and neither did Mick! But he took a substance they call the "cure" several months ago. He wanted to be human again for a while. It was back when we first started dating."

"I remember! Josef said he had to turn Mick back into a vampire so he could save you from that crazy cosmetic surgeon, right?"

"That's right!" I said. "But what neither one of us ever gave a thought to was that when a vampire is human on the "cure," even though it's temporary, they can reproduce—while they are human."

"So you got pregnant back when Mick was a human?"

"Actually, no. That's the miraculous part. I got pregnant about two weeks ago. Mick still had—sperm—I guess! from that time when he was human. Don't ask me HOW—I just know I'm pregnant, and Mick is the only possible father!"

"That is so incredible!" Simone shook her head. "Wow. I wonder what I'd do if Josef asked me to have a baby for him? I don't want children, really—that's why it was fine with me when he and I decided he would turn me. It means I don't have to have any more periods and I won't ever get pregnant! For me, that's just great! Oh—but I'm really happy for you and Mick—I can see how happy he is too! You'll make wonderful parents!"

"Well, thanks! We are pretty excited, although I'm just barely pregnant. I know anything could happen. Nine months is a long time!"

"Oh, and I cannot imagine that! Nine months of getting fatter and fatter! Oh—" she caught herself, "not that you won't look beautiful! I'm sure Mick will think so too!" Simone seemed to realize she was sounding insulting, so she quieted down. "But that really is amazing, Beth. What a story!"

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll be written up in the vampire book of oddities!" We were silent for a few minutes. Simone slipped back into the water, and then so did I. It was a little chilly out in the open air! "So when are you going to have Josef turn you, Simone?"

"Oh, I hope soon! I think we should do it right after you and Mick get back from your honeymoon! I'm eager now that I've decided to go through with it! Just think! No more cooking!"

"Well, yeah, and no more eating!"

"I know. That I might miss, but as it is with most things that are really wonderful, it seems there's a sacrifice too, but I'll be happy. I just know it!"

"You sound ready," I said. "I'm not sure I'd love it, but like you told me once, I'm sure it will come up."

"Well, yeah! It will! I mean, the thing is, he could accidentally turn you any time!" I must have flinched. "Well," she was backtracking again over her last faux pas, "I mean, it could happen sometime down the road! I know Mick wouldn't turn you while you're pregnant!"

"Yes, I'm sure he's going to be really careful," I said, beginning to wonder just how he would be so careful. So far, our sexual encounters had been pretty unrestrained! Oh, well. I could stand it for nine months if he could, but I was wondering just HOW careful he'd have to be. I knew that he said being with him was dangerous, but would he be afraid of me now that I was pregnant? I hoped not! The water was doing its trick--I yawned.

"Are you tired? It's pretty late!" Simone chirped. She didn't seem tired at all!

"Yeah, I'm exhausted! It's been quite a week! I think I'm going to dry off and crawl into that enormous bed! It looks so inviting, and tomorrow's going to be a big day!"

"Oh, I know! It's so exciting! I don't know if Josef and I will ever get married—I suppose we'll talk about that after he turns me. But a wedding is always fun! This is going to be so great! I hope the guys don't stay up all night playing craps! Josef just LOVES the craps table! I guess it's kind of like their bachelor party, so hey, if he and Mick want to try to take money away from Steve Wynn, it's up to them!"

"That's true! I'm sure we'll hear about it tomorrow!"

I hugged Simone. "Good night. This is so fun. I'm really so glad you came along! You're a great bridesmaid—thanks for all the advice today!"

She hugged me back and said, "It was all fun for me, Beth. Thanks so much for asking us to come along on this adventure! You are going to be the most beautiful bride tomorrow! Good-night! Sleep now! We don't want a tired bride!"

Down in the casino, Mick and Josef had taken a break from the craps game. Josef was only ahead by a couple hundred thousand, so it wasn't very exciting at that. Mick had done okay, though! They were in the cigar lounge, enjoying a smoke and more Scotch.

"So tell me more about this incident," Josef said to Mick and listened as Mick filled him in on the attack on Beth and what the mysterious vampire had said to her. He told him about the "list," which had both of their names on it, and explained that some names were crossed out, including Emma and Jackson's names. Josef was concerned.

"What are you going to do about this, buddy? It sounds as though someone is targeting vampires."

"Yeah, I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, but keep your ears open and let me know if you hear anything."

"I'll try to find out if there's any buzz on this. Just try to remember to charge up your cell phone once in a while—I know you're going to be busy." He cleared his throat in an obvious way.

"Ah, yeah, I plan to be! But I'll charge the phone, DAD!"

"Stop calling me that!" He rolled his eyes and set down his empty tumbler. "I guess maybe we should hit the ice? Don't want to be all worn out for tomorrow's festivities, right?"

"Very right." They both rose. Mick put his hand on Josef's shoulder as they headed for the private elevator. "I just want to thank you again for all of this, Josef. And don't be surprised if I thank you again tomorrow."

"Well, thanks for warning me, but it's definitely my pleasure, bro."

They went up and hit the ice, each in his own tub.

I put on a pair of lacy but comfy skimpy pajamas from home. I brushed out my hair and put on lotion, then sank into the billowy folds of the bed. It was so soft! I wished Mick were here. Even one night without him made me ache with longing, just for the touch of his skin, his breath in my hair. I tossed around a little bit, hoping he was having fun with the flamboyant Mr. Kostan downstairs in the casino. I was pretty sure the boys wouldn't even try to get any sleep tonight! Ah well!

I was feeling kind of hot, probably from the spa, so I got up and opened the double doors to my patio. The cool breeze wafted in and I stood in the doorway for several minutes to cool my skin off.

I left the doors open, enjoying the night air, and climbed back into the giant bed. Despite how comfortable it was, I was having trouble drifting off. My mind wouldn't stop thinking about today! I put my hand on my belly. Our baby. Mick's baby! I wanted so much to talk to him! But I needed to sleep, and how was I going to do that, I wondered! I was trying to count sheep, but kept losing count as my mind wandered around, thinking of all of today's fun, exciting, wonderful moments. I knew I'd never sleep. Great.

I barely felt the covers stir as Mick slipped in behind me. He was very cold, smelled kind of smoky, and had the scent of good Scotch on his breath.

"SHHHHHH! Don't turn around!" he whispered loudly. "Don't look at me! It's our wedding day!" I smiled and grabbed the hand he had on my belly.

"Did you come across the hall naked?" I whispered, imagining that picture and grinning!

"No, I wore a robe, and it's on the floor. You, however, are in clothing!" he said, acting surprised.

"It's not like I expected you! You're the one who made these rules! We were supposed to sleep alone tonight!" I snuggled back into his cool embrace, noticing that even with my skimpy pajamas on, I could still feel every hard muscle and contour of his body pressed up behind me.

"I couldn't stand not being with you! It's our first night together after finding out we're going to have a baby." He nuzzled into my neck and kissed me. "Ah, Beth. I'm so happy that I can't remember when I was so happy!"

I giggled as he kissed me, tickling me on my neck with his lips and his breath. I put his hand over the spot where I thought our baby would be. He rubbed my stomach lightly.

"I know, Mick, I still can't believe it's true. I'm so glad you're here," I whispered, squeezing his hand. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all tonight. I'm too hyped from the day!"

"Let me see if I can help you—just remember--don't turn around and look at me!"

"Ah, my 'old world Mick.'" I sighed, then became aware of him sliding his arm up under my top.

"I know your breasts are sore—I'll be careful," he said as he very lightly caressed them, rubbing his thumb on my nipples, making them hard. "Ah, Beth, you feel so beautiful."

"Mmmmmmmm. You feel me so beautifully!" I sighed. I was feeling really aroused just from his touching my breasts and kissing my neck. Then his hand went the other direction, into my panties. "Ohhhhhh! Mick—you can't do this! I want you too much!" He was caressing me in such a way that I was starting to wiggle like a worm on a hook. I pressed against his probing hand. "Ahhhhhh. Ohhhh." I was suddenly distracted and very, very hot.

"I love the sounds you make when I love you," he whispered. "I want to hear more." He began pulling down my panties, and in a second they were off.

"Oh, Mick! This is never going to help me sleep. I'm going to be lying here all hot and wanting you! I can't even kiss you!-- OH! Omigosh!" My breath caught in my throat as I felt his fingers sliding between my legs, feeling me from behind, his long finger coming up and around me, touching my hot, wet, swollen flesh. He only rubbed me there for a minute before I felt the waves of pleasure shooting through me, and I arched my back as the waves rolled along, carrying me with them. I was sighing out loudly, enjoying the orgasm sweeping through me just as one of his other fingers plunged inside of me. "AHHHHHHH! Oh, Mick!" I writhed as his fingers did their magic and I was released from the huge build-up of want. I sighed, wriggled, panted and pushed hard against his probing fingers. I realized this was exactly what I needed--this amazing man had given me the best sleeping pill in the world in just a few minutes! I rocked against his hand until the spasms ceased and I lay still in my state of wonder at how easily he manipulated me to the sublime.

Then I felt both of his hands on my hips, pulling me back until he had me lined up to receive him. He slid inside of me easily, filling me, filling me, all the way in. "Oh, GOD!" I said, not even able to think, letting my body take over for my brain as I bumped my bottom against him and he held my hips firmly, pushing inside of me over and over again. I sighed and gasped into the cool sheets as I gripped the fabric until my knuckles were white.

He plunged gently but firmly, not stopping, not talking, just keeping the pace until both of us felt the waves of pleasure coming over us. He grabbed me then with both arms around my body and held me close to him against his chest as his release triggered mine and we both sighed and moaned, bound so closely, yet not looking at each other, not kissing, just enjoying the touching and holding, the glorious joining as we found ourselves speaking once again to each other in the language which needed no words, one completely unique to us, one that only our bodies could communicate. When the waves stopped coming and he held me close, my back against him, both of us breathing hard, he kissed my ear and whispered to me.

"Maybe now you'll sleep, Beth, my love."

"Mick—Oh, Mick! Oh--" He got us settled into a nice spooning position, his hand on my tummy.

When I could speak again, I said softly, "Keep a firm hand on our baby now. I need to sleep." I felt myself slipping into unconscious bliss in the arms of my lover, who had come to save me from a night of no sleep.

"Honey, that's why I'm here—I wanted to babysit so you could get some rest." He kissed the back of my head and pulled me closer yet.

I fell asleep smiling.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE –" Vows"**

The Wedding, Part One

I woke up feeling totally rested. I stretched and my muscles had that nice loose, rubbery feeling that I get from great sex, I've recently discovered! Mick was gone, of course! He certainly wouldn't let me SEE him on our wedding day! I just lay there in the big, comfy bed, enjoying the smell of Mick on the bedding, just a light scent of man, smoke and something else that was him alone. Today he'd stand before the minister Steve Wynn had hired for our wedding and he would commit himself to me. I was in Vegas, baby! I truly felt as though all of the jackpots ever in history had just landed in my hands! I was marrying my friend today, and I couldn't wait!

I stretched my hands out and touched something, so I sat up in bed. There on the pillow we hadn't used last night, since we shared only one, was a red rose and a note. I even loved his handwriting, which was mostly printing in sort of blocky letters.

'Beth—Today I get to tell you in front of God and everyone what you mean to me, and better than that, I get to move up the ladder from being just your best friend to also being your husband. I'm so very blessed to have you in my life! I pinch myself to be sure this is real! And honey--thanks for last night! The sex was actually pretty good! XXXOOO --Mick'

I laughed, then sniffed the rose and smiled, remembering. How funny my "old school" Mick was! No seeing each other before the wedding, but sex was allowed! I was giggling into the petals when there was a knock on my door.

"Come on in!" I said loudly. Simone gushed in all animated. I wondered if I was ready for her exuberance first thing in the morning! Ah well! No peace until tonight! "Hi Simone! Let's order breakfast!"

"Exactly what I had in mind too—here's a menu—want to call it in? I have to get my coffee!"

I dialed the number and put in our order. "Okay! Breakfast in fifteen minutes!"

"Great! Now—the hair people are coming at 11 and it's 9 o'clock now, so we'll have time to eat and shower before they get here. Just wear a robe, and then our dresses should come sometime while our hair is getting done, and the makeup gals arrive at noon—if they have to wait, that's okay. Then—2:00! Be up at Steve's place! OOOhhh!"

She bounced up and down on my bed, on all fours, reminding me of a little kid on her birthday! "I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! This will be such FUN day!" her smile was ear-to-ear. She leaned down and spoke in a low voice, as though anyone were going to hear her! "Maybe this will give Josef an idea or two! I hope so!"

I was surprised! "So you DO want to marry him?" I asked.

"You never know! I could certainly do worse! You know?"

"So you love Josef?" I asked simply.

I watched her eyes travel upward as she was thinking. "Well, everyone LOVES Josef, right? What's not to love about Josef!"

She held out her hands, as if asking the question in a global fashion.

"Simone—that's not what I mean! I mean do you **LOVE**, love Josef, you know, with all your heart, that kind of thing?"

"Oh, honey—we don't have a relationship like you and Mick! Ours is more like mutual respect, I think! But love? Well, I guess I do love him in a way, and I do respect him! And the romance can always come later! He is GREAT in the sack!" She laughed and looked at me, lightly slapping the comforter. "But then YOU know about that! Sex with vamps!" She giggled. "What more does a woman need? I believe you CAN build a relationship based on sex!"

"Indeed!" I smiled at her thinking she was nice, smart and very shallow! But different strokes—"

The doorbell sounded and Simone sprang off of the bed and raced to the door while I put a robe on. My panties lay tell-tale on the floor, but she hadn't seemed to notice. I picked the rose up and carried it to the breakfast table.

I was starving! I sat down with Simone as our waiter uncovered dish after dish of elegant food. We had kind of over-ordered, I guessed, but a little of everything sounded great. I needed to be fortified for the day's activities!

Simone and I tore into breakfast like hungry wolves, eating, talking chewing swallowing. I had stuck my rose in the vase on our table, which held some pretty flowers whose names I didn't know. Together they looked great and smelled better. How sweet and romantic of Mick—how did he get a rose! Vampires, I decided, could get about anything they wanted!

I loved my hair when it was done! It was swept up with tendrils curling down here and there. The little jeweled comb stuck in the front almost looked like a tiara, furthering the princess feel I had about this entire day! Simone looked great too, with her hair in a simple up-do and a very dramatic make-up job! Mine was a little more subtle, but it was me! I didn't want Mick wondering who he was marrying! As the last brushes of my makeup were being applied, my phone rang, and seeing the rose on the screen, I grabbed it.

"Mick!" I said breathlessly!

"How's my best girl?"

"Eager to see my sweetheart!"

"So you're not backing out—that's good!"

"Not a chance! I can't wait."

"I can't either. I'll be watching for you at the appointed place. I'll be the one with the huge smile."

"I'll find you! --I love you, Mick."

"I adore you, Beth. I'll be seeing you very soon, and even though I know for a fact that you will be very beautiful in your gown, don't be surprised if I undress you with my eyes."

I laughed. "Well, two can play that game, my hunky husband! I'll be doing the same thing! Let's not let anyone else in on our secret, though, okay?"

He was laughing too. "Not a chance! Good-by for now, Beth Turner!"

"See 'ya soon, Mick St John. Hope you're ready to give that name away!"

"I couldn't be more ready, Mrs. St John." His voice caressed me until my ears were turning pink.

"Thanks for last night and the rose, too."

"Ahhhh! There will be so many more nights and roses in your future! Hope you don't get tired of me!"

"Never."

"Me too. I love you, Beth. Hurry up and get to the wedding."

"That is definitely a date I will keep!" All I heard was a kiss over the phone, then a click. I kissed my phone without thinking.

"Wow, sounds like you two are ready!" said Tess, who had been doing my hair and makeup.

I just smiled at her and nodded. I couldn't talk just now.

Our "dressers" came up at about one o'clock. Simone had an easier time slipping into her dress than I did! She got ready in record time, then went out of the room to call Josef. I had the special little lacy bra, the panties to match, then the garter belt and stockings! Simone had insisted it would enhance our wedding night! Like we needed enhancing! But I didn't tell her that, so on went all of the undergarments, and since the dress was lined, it just slid right on over everything and voila! I looked like a bride! Except for the veil! Where was that?

Nobody could find it! The dressers were horrified. They called the store, who eventually found it with someone else's gown and it was quickly escorted over here by limousine in plenty of time. I figured that was our "glitch," so from now on it should be smooth sailing!

Tess had stayed behind to place the veil appropriately in my hair. It was so light and sheer it was like wearing nothing in my hair, even though it was as long as the little swish at the back of my dress, which was either a tiny train or just something to dust the floor. It was very pretty, though, very white, very filmy and yes, very princess-like. In fact, I thought I had seen several princesses in Disney cartoons with the same style as mine over the years!

And the shoes looked as though they'd be terrible to wear, but I figured out that when you spend a few thousand on shoes, they actually are wearable! I'd be taller than usual, but even four-inch heels couldn't make me taller than Mick! It would just make kissing him a whole lot easier, being up higher and closer to his sweet lips!

There was the doorbell! Josef had come to escort us upstairs! The flowers were on the table in the entryway and I was eager to see those. Oh! It was all coming together! I stood looking at myself in the full-length mirror in the dressing room, thinking how strange it was that a few weeks ago, I would have had no interest in wearing a bridal gown—now I was so happy and excited to be dressed in one! I looked great, if I did say so myself! I heard a loud whistle behind me and turned. Joseph had both arms held out to his sides.

"My Lord! If you aren't the MOST beautiful bride! Mick is a very lucky man!"

"Hey! You are looking very dapper and handsome yourself, Josef!"

I stepped down from the little dressing platform and Josef came over and took my hand, then kissed it. What a gentleman! He looked into my eyes and there was a little flicker there that I couldn't interpret. It passed almost before I saw it.

"I mean it, Beth, Mick is one very lucky man," he said seriously, still holding my hand and searching my eyes.

"Well, I happen to think that I am the absolute luckiest woman in the world to be marrying Mick!"

"I'd have to agree with you there—he is the best of the best. I haven't invited anyone else to be my brother!"

I swept my arms over my dress and said, "Thank you so much, Josef. I don't want to cry with my makeup on, but I'm just speechless. This is all so—much!"

"Not for you and Mick, my dear." He reached into his meticulously cut black tuxedo coat and pulled out a small, rectangular flat box. "I heard you needed something blue. I hope this will be okay." He opened it and I gasped. It was like a very dainty little tennis bracelet with alternating diamonds and blue sapphires set in white gold. It was so beautiful I couldn't even talk. I looked at him and shook my head. I managed to whisper, "Too much!"

"You don't have to say anything. Here, let me see if it fits." He put it on my wrist and deftly hooked the clasp. It was perfect! I took a step forward and hugged him, kissing him on his cheek.

"Well! If I had known all I needed to do to get a kiss was buy you jewelry, I'd have done that much sooner!"

"Josef! You're—so wonderful. Mick loves you and I love you too." I blinked rapidly, trying not to cry.

He smiled and squeezed my hand. "Don't mess up that makeup, Beautiful! Just make my buddy happy and that's thanks enough."

I nodded "I will, Josef! I will!" I squeezed his hand back.

"Hey! I hear we are supposed to meet Mick upstairs and somebody here is going to get married! Shall we go?" I nodded, still too speechless to say anything.

Out in the entryway, Simone had Josef's boutonnière in hand. She pinned it expertly onto his tux. He looked so handsome! Simone then handed me my bouquet, which was, of course, breathtakingly beautiful! Small white calla lilies inside of bunches of white tea roses, stephanotis, Lily of the Valley, and some kind of white/green flowers that I loved, but couldn't remember what they were called! About the size of a small squash, it was embellished with trailing ivy and ribbons that matched my dress.

Simone's flowers were perfect as well, and she picked up Mick's boutonnière to carry up with us. She'd pin it on him with panache, I was sure! We grabbed our fancy little handbags, each matching our dresses, and Josef took us, one on each of his arms, looking radiant! One of the dressers opened up the door for us and waved. We smiled at her, thanked our crew and waved back. Out in the hallway we found our photographer, who started snapping photos right away! The elevator was key carded and only went to one floor. I was eager to see where we were going!

Upstairs, Mick was waiting in a giant bathroom, so elegantly appointed and so sparkling clean he wondered if it had been built for a photo shoot and never used! He adjusted the small, stylish bowtie that nestled inside of a very natty designer shirt, which had a standup collar with two little flaps that folded over, one on each side of the tie. Josef insisted the only way to have the best tuxedo was to have one made for you, but Mick thought the Versace was a winner. It fit him perfectly. They had had to adjust the hem of the pants, but otherwise had done very little to fit the suit. He preened a little, thinking he wasn't half bad and maybe Beth would be okay with the way he looked. She usually didn't comment on how he looked with clothes ON! He looked down at his shoes—Josef had insisted. Bettanin & Venturi. Pretty cool.

He sat on a bench and took some deep breaths. It was almost two—they should be getting here soon. His orders were to stay here until Josef got him out. He thought about Beth. Only two weeks since he'd gone back to her place and told her he loved her! Life was so crazy. Here he was, about to take another wife! This time, however, it was **love,** not—whatever that other thing had been, this one definitely was NOT a vampire, and this time love was truly forever! He'd just have to be sure she didn't become a vampire until their baby came! Wow. Big responsibility! He smiled and looked at his fresh manicure. Beth! He'd never get tired of having her in his life!

The door opened and in came Josef and Simone. Simone said "WOW! You clean up good!" She swiped at something invisible on his jacket, probably mostly to get a feel of the luxurious fabric!

Josef smiled and said, "Hey, man, if I weren't attracted to women, I'd try to get you to ask me out, looking like that!" He chucked Mick lightly on the arm.

"Well, thanks, Josef. I'll keep that in mind in case I switch sides!"

"Oh, stop it!" Simone chided them. " You two have too much testosterone! Come here, Mick. I have to pin you!"

"Oh, really? Wanna go steady?" he flashed his killer smile at her and she thought, yeah! Get rid of Beth and I'm yours, doll! Instead, she said,

"Your boutonnière, silly. Come on! Let's get this show on the road!"

Beth was in a lavish bedroom all by herself. This was it! Her stomach was doing little back flips and she was getting eager to get going! Simone opened the door and burst in, pulled out a compact from her purse and dabbed her face.

"Do I look shiny? I feel shiny!"

I laughed and said, "You sure don't look shiny to me, Simone! You look like a model!"

"Oh, you are sweet, Beth, but today is definitely your day! You look gorgeous, and my gosh! I'm thinking I have been a total dope! I took one look at Mick in the men's room, and thought maybe I've got the wrong man! He looks SO HOT!"

"Well, he sure is to me!" I smiled, and the look on my face must have given me away.

She raised her eyebrow at me. "Yeah! Like you two thought you were being so sneaky last night! Can't keep your hands off of each other for one night!"

I turned bright red and after hedging a little I admitted it to her, "You're right—Mick surprised me last night, but he wouldn't let me LOOK at him! It was so—erotic!"

She looked at me with a wistful smile. "You are so lucky, Beth. You really love your man. And he loves you SO much! Oh, that is such a rare thing, and you have it all. I envy you."

"Hey, Simone, you're a beautiful, fun, smart woman! All you need to do is hold out for your own Prince Charming!"

There was a knock on the door, and we both said "Come in!"

Josef came in, looking official. "It's time! Ill have to say, this is one beautiful wedding! Come on ladies! Come meet your wedding coordinator!"

We walked to the huge foyer, about five stories high, all marble and crystal. The sun was sparkling on the crystal chandelier, which was at least three stories tall! I heard beautiful music coming from somewhere, a string ensemble.

"Wow, that music is beautiful!" I exclaimed. Josef nodded.

"Steve hired them. Says they play for the London Philharmonic when they aren't off in the summer." I was stunned, once again. I watched a beautiful woman approach us.

"Beth, Simone, this is your wedding coordinator, Bella." I shook her hand. She looked exotic, like Egyptian or middle-Eastern, at least. She wore a long, slinky sheath dress in emerald green, which showed off her flawless darkly tanned-looking skin, and her long, loose curls hung seductively everywhere! Josef said "Bella has been very strict about where I need to stand, so I'm going to go there, and I will leave you in her capable hands." He gave us a little wave, a couple of raised eyebrows, and went in the direction of the music.

"Come with me," said Bella in a pretty, musical, accented voice. "You will love what we have done with the balcony, I hope, Beth!"

We came to a space that was open to the outdoors. Heavy leaded pocket doors had been pushed aside. The balcony had a high wall around it, and white tarpaulins had been stretched across the opening to the sky, across the entire balcony, hiding the sun. Beneath the tarps, white netting intertwined with tiny white lights had been hung all over, and this was intertwined with hanging vines of ivy. It made a ceiling for the balcony and it was beautiful as well as practical for vampires not wanting to stand in the desert sun! Cooling misters surrounded the balcony, but the mist was so light that it didn't even hit the floor—it simply evaporated in mid-air, but it was enough to keep the area cooler than the outside temperature.

I gasped. Josef had been right—there truly was an arch, and it was covered in about ten billion flowers! There was a satin runner on the marble flooring. There were candles lit all around us, and they looked so pretty in the cover of our false ceiling.

"Omigosh! Beth! Look at this!" Simone said, clutching my hand. "This is the prettiest place I've ever seen!"

I nodded enthusiastically. Over in a corner there was a fountain flowing and the tinkling sound of the water was soothing. It was built like a modernistic waterfall, and sounded lovely with the orchestra, which began playing again. There was a harp, a cello, a viola, a violin and a flute!

"How wonderful! I said and turned to Bella. "I don't know HOW you got this all together so quickly, but you are amazing!"

"Thank you, Beth—but that is my job, and I would do anything for Steve. He is a very good friend and client. I'm glad you love it. We will get many pictures!" She looked at me—"Are you ready to be the bride?"

I took a breath and blew it out. "I AM! Where are the guys?"

"I go get them now—you wait here. When "Pachelbel's Cannon" begins, YOU" she pointed at Simone, "will start walking, get to the front, and stay on the left side. The men will be on the right. **Your** man," she pointed at me, "will be waiting for you under the archway. I go get the minister and we get things rolling very soon! Now listen for the music to change! Then you go! But not fast! Okay!"

Then off she flew. Simone and I were waiting in the wings where we were supposedly out of sight. I assumed the first sight I would have of Mick would be as I began walking toward him. My stomach fluttered again! I reached for Simone's hand and we clung to each other. She left and peeked around the corner and came back, informing me that the minister was at the arch! In a minute, we heard the Cannon begin.

"Here I go!" said Simone. She smiled at me and walked toward the door. I was alone, wishing my parents could be here to see me get married. I had truly been all alone in the world with no family. After today, I'd have a husband to go with the baby I was carrying. Family could happen fast!

Bella came running. "Okay, darling, let me be sure your dress is perfect." I felt her pull on the back. "Is good now. You go now—walk slowly!" She gave me a little shove and I walked into the doorway.

Mick's eyes zeroed in on mine, and I felt myself holding my breath. He looked so amazingly handsome! I couldn't believe how great he could look in clothing, but he always took my breath away! He smiled at me and I let my breath out. My legs carried me slowly down the path to him, as our eyes never once unlocked from a gaze that held us spellbound. I was absolutely mesmerized, as though charmed by his dark, smoldering stare, and I walked toward him until I felt the safety of his hand grasping mine, and once again, I felt I had come home!

We couldn't take our eyes off of each other, and while the music kept playing, we said a million things to each other without speaking.

The music stopped and the minister cleared his throat. I hated to look away, and so did Mick, but we had to in order to get married. He squeezed my hand again and we turned toward the minister. We both nodded to him. We had talked to him via webcam last week, telling him about things that were special to us. He smiled a kindly smile. He was elderly, probably late seventies, deeply tanned and lined, with white hair, but ruggedly handsome for a man his age.

"Welcome Beth, Mick, friends!" He nodded to everyone, including Bella, who stood in the doorway in the back. We are here to celebrate a most holy and happy occasion! The marriage of this man and this woman, who have consented to share their lives with one another. This is a most serious commitment, not one to be taken lightly, for it is actually a covenant between a man and woman, a covenant before God and witnesses in which they promise themselves to each other, exclusively, for as long as they live. I've spoken to Beth and Mick, and I am safe in saying that rarely do I have the pleasure of joining two lives more suited to one another than Mick and Beth. They have told me that they plan to be married again by a priest when they return home, because their faith is something they want to share with each other and any children they may have. I commend their decision to do so. So, what we do here today will be legal, but will not be the end of their committing to each other!" There was a little laughter, then he looked at us, then at Josef.

"The bride has requested one Bible reading for this occasion, and this will be read by Mr. Josef Kostan."

Josef stepped over to a little clear podium with a large, open Bible sitting atop it. His voice rang out clear and without hesitation.

"The passage I will read is known as 'The Love Chapter' from Second Corinthians 13, and I will be reading verses 1 through 8, and 13:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. . .

And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Josef left the podium and stepped back by Mick's side. The minister then spoke again:

"Our bride and groom wish to say their own vows to one another." I handed my bouquet to Simone, and Mick and I held each other's hands. The minister nodded to Mick, and he took in a large breath and exhaled, his eyes locked on mine, deep and swimming with emotion.

"Today, Beth, I stand before you humbly, asking you to take me just as I am, right here and right now, believing it isn't who or what I am that matters anymore, but it's who the two of us are together that matters, how WE feel about each other.

I ask you to take me as your husband, knowing now that you DO want me as I am, something I have never experienced before! I have to tell you how much that means to me! How much you have changed my life--from one of regrets and sorrow to one where I look into our future and see day after day of shared wonder, shared dreams, and even the most impossible of dreams—shared parenthood! Family! How could I love you more? I don't see how I could, but as the years pass, and as we go together through this life, hand-in-hand, I know this love I have for you will only grow stronger and more passionate than it is today! I know, in my soul, that you were always meant for me, and I thank God I found you so we can share this day and every day from now on, together." He took another breath and blew it out a little unsteadily.

"So, I, Mick St. John, do take you, Elizabeth Turner, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love and to cherish always, to honor and protect with my life. I will be with you through good times and hard times, through times of plenty and times of less. I will honor you, keep you, protect you, and love you with all that is in me, now and forever."

He gave me a little smile, lifted my left hand and kissed it. I was touched! My Mick!

The minister looked at me and nodded. I took a deep breath and hoped I could get through my vows as well as Mick did! I didn't want to weep, so I squeezed his hands and he squeezed back.

"I, Beth Turner, take you, Mick St. John, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, to love and to cherish for all of our days, to share the good times and the not-so-good times, to have you always by my side, and always to be at yours as we walk hand-in-hand through the joys and the sorrows that life has to offer us. I know that as long as you have my back, I will be safe, and I will be happy."

I looked at our joined hands, and that gave me the strength to go on. I looked back into his eyes, my safety net, and I let the love I saw in them surround me with peace.

"Mick—I can't even put into words my love for you! You've saved me and helped me get through some dark and difficult times! We share laughter and tears so easily! I feel as though God in his wisdom made you for me and me for you, and however long it took us to get to this place, here and now, that was in his plan too, because we are perfectly matched, perfectly suited, and I am perfectly elated to take you today as more than my best friend, but now my lover and my husband, the keeper of my heart, which I give to you today gladly, without any reservations. I, too, feel I could not love you more, but our relationship is young, and we have so many years to watch our love grow—together."

His eyes glistened and I had to look away. I looked at the kindly minister who smiled in a fatherly fashion and nodded encouragement. This was going to make me cry, but I had to say it!

"We are orphans, Mick, you and I. We have been alone in this world for a while. I understand your deep desire for family because I share that desire! Today is the beginning of our family—you and I become family today, and that means everything to me! And if we are blessed with children, that will only add to our happiness, but our family starts today. I love you, Mick, and I will for as long as I live. I give you all that I have, all that is me, and in return, I will take you lovingly into my arms just as you are, for as long as we both shall live."

Mick let go of my hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out a starched, white handkerchief, which he put gently to my face, very carefully blotting my tears, then holding it out to me, letting me blot his. We smiled at each other through glistening eyes full of joy.

The minister nodded at both of us and smiled. I think he was feeling the electricity between Mick and me, being so close to us, and considering how strong the feeling was!

"The rings, please?" he said, holding out a hand for Simone and Josef to place the bands into his outstretched palm.

He began again, "These rings are a symbol of the unending love the two of you are pledging to one another today. The ring is a circle with no ending and no beginning, symbolizing the lasting covenant between husband and wife.

"Mick," he handed the ring over, "Place this ring on Beth's finger, saying 'With this ring, I promise myself to you.'"

He lifted my hand and placed the circle on my finger. He looked at me, eyes dark, swirling pools of emotion. He practically whispered, and I loved the emotion in his eyes and his voice.

"Beth, with this ring, I promise myself to you." He didn't let go of my hand, which was fine with me. The more he touched me, the more self-control I was able to exert. I looked at the ring for the first time and felt tears well up. It was an exquisite, dainty little eternity ring with small, round diamonds all around it that matched the small diamonds surrounding my big stone, Mick's mother's stone. Together they looked so pretty; I was simply overcome with emotion. I looked up at Mick and he just smiled sweetly, happy he'd made me happy.

"Beth?" the minister said as he handed Mick's ring to me.

Locking eyes with him once again, I said, "Mick, with this ring, I promise myself to you." He gazed at his ring, then at me, and told me with his look how pleased he was. He probably thought I had forgotten!

We stood there for that moment, eyes glistening, hardly believing this was really happening! I felt as though each of us was taking a freeze-frame photo of this moment in our minds as we were standing on the edge of one life, ready to step into another. I felt the last seconds of Mick and Beth, two separate people, ticking away before the pronouncement that we had miraculously become Mick and Beth, joined in marriage! This was a moment to be remembered and cherished as we gave away lives of separateness to lives lived in union, husband and wife.

"Mick and Beth," the minister said, waking us from our trance.

"By the stating of your vows and the exchanging of rings before God and these witnesses, you have now entered into the state of Holy Matrimony. May God bless your union, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (He blessed us with the sign of the cross, which made this feel so official!)

"Amen." We said in unison.

"By the power vested in me by the State of Nevada, and as a minister of our Lord Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no one separate."

He smiled at Mick. "You may kiss your bride."

Mick pulled me to him by our joined hands, looking into my eyes. "I love you," he mouthed, then leaned over and put his mouth firmly on mine. Our eyes closed and we kissed our first kiss as a married couple. We could have kissed all day, but used a whole lot of restraint! When we pulled apart, Mick was grinning so widely that I giggled and hugged him. He hugged me back.

I reached over and Simone handed me my flowers. She had tears in her eyes! The string ensemble began playing once again, and Mick held out his arm for me, which I took, and we led the tiny procession out of the door. As soon as we were in the foyer, Mick picked me up off of the floor and swung me around as he kissed me and kissed me and kissed me again! When he put me down, I was flushed and breathless.

The people around us, from Bella to Joseph and Simone, the minister and the musicians all clapped and cheered. Someone whistled. Mick and I couldn't stop smiling at each other. What a miracle this was!

A woman in a black uniform dress with a white apron came out and said, "Please follow me and I will seat you for the meal."

Mick and I followed her, holding hands, as the others followed behind us. We entered a large, elegant dining room with a shiny black table adorned with flowers, lacy placemats, a huge centerpiece dripping with flowers and candles, and something in the kitchen smelled delicious!. I suddenly realized how hungry I was! Mick and I were seated at the head of the table with the others around us. Simone was next to me, Josef next to Mick, so they were across the table from each other. The minister sat down next to Josef, and the musicians sat on both sides of the table. Bella was running around, and didn't look as though she would eat with the wedding party.

I heard a loud pop coming from the kitchen, and soon our glasses were filled with Dom Perignon, and I was a tiny bit sorry that I wouldn't be able to swill that down today! We lifted our glasses as Josef stood to make the toast:

"To Mick and Beth, the most unlikely of couples who have proven to the rest of the world that nothing matters but love. May your lives always be filled with joy, and may you re-write many more rules over the course of your lives together." He winked at me, then raised his glass, as we all did.

I took one sip and let it rest on my tongue as I savored my small allotment of this nectar of the gods. "Mmmmmmmm." I said out loud, not meaning to!

Mick chuckled beside me, then leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Don't be sad, honey, after you have this baby, I'll buy you all the Dom you want!"

"Is that a promise?" I whispered back.

"Of course." Then someone started the tinkling sound of a knife on crystal, and soon there was a small chiming chorus. Mick turned his body toward me, bent to me and kissed me very thoroughly—about as much as could decently be allowed in public! The cheers and whistles began again, and then the food was served. I don't know if anyone was watching us, but our eyes were communicating what our hearts felt: that kiss was only the beginning of a very long night of loving!

The food was beautifully presented, of course, partridge in a reduction sauce with chestnut and current stuffing, herbed potatoes which were delicious, and both glazed carrots and fresh green beans. I was so hungry I ate my plate and half of Mick's. Mick and Josef requested Scotch, and both seemed to enjoying the selection that was served.

As dinner ended, we were introduced to the women in the string ensemble. Bella came over to the table addressed Mick and me.

"I'd like to introduce you to the people who made beautiful music for you," and she took me by the hand to the women who had played for us. I thanked them all for such a wonderful display of their talents, and they were all gracious. Mick came up behind me to meet them as well. We found out that they were in Las Vegas for a benefit concert, and when they had been asked to play for our wedding, had eagerly agreed. I guessed we all wanted to see where the Wynns hung out! I looked at them now, women of varying ages, all looking at Mick with unmistakeable lust in their eyes!

Why had I never noticed the way other women looked at Mick before! As I looked around the table of musicians, I saw that the glow in their eyes was more from appreciation of my handsome husband than of simple happiness at being part of this blessed event! I'd have my work cut out for me, I guessed! Not that I was the jealous type, but the way those eyes were looking at my husband, I might get that way!

"We both feel very honored that such professional musicians were here for our wedding!" Mick said to everyone. They all smiled and nodded. When we were done with the introductions, and Mick and I were ushered back to the balcony by the servers.

"Well, they are very attractive women! I hope you weren't sidetracked by that one batting her eyes at you!"

He kissed me. "Absolutely not. You can't even imagine what's going through my mind! I can't wait to get started on this honeymoon!" I felt shivery looking into his eyes. The electric charge that happened every time we touched seemed strong enough to cause a blackout at the hotel! His eyes were still caressing me. "I can't wait to show you all the ways I can make you mine." He gave me a sweet kiss full of promise.

I kissed him back. "That goes both ways, you know, my darling Mick. Just remember—you are now MINE as well! I don't think I'm going to let YOU forget that little reality any time soon!"

Our smiles held so much longing! Both of us were desperate to be alone, yet we didn't want the day to end!

After dinner, it was nice to be taken to a place where we were more or less alone--Josef, Simone, Mick and I all sat out under the fantasy-lit balcony cover, which felt like a low ceiling of clouds with impossible little stars all around, and it made the place feel intimate and cozy. Josef and Mick had their Scotch and cigars, Simone was thoroughly enjoying the Dom, and I sipped some kind of juice on ice. Very refreshing.

Belle had the servers wheel a beautiful cake out and set it on the coffee table, along with plates, silverware and napkins. The photographer wanted a shot of us cutting the cake together. It was so pretty I hated to ruin it! It looked like graduated, stacked gift boxes frosted in white fondant frosting and had fancy colored candy ribbons and bows adorning each square. Mick and I consented to the photograph, and I placed my hand over his as we made the first cut, smiling for the camera.

The server put the piece we had cut on a plate and handed it to Mick, who cut off a small piece with the fork, picked it up with his fingers, and placed it carefully into my open mouth, making me feel kind of like a baby bird waiting for a worm. I sucked on his fingers lightly as he withdrew them, and for that I was rewarded with a lecherous look from Mick and clapping from our audience.

I swallowed and he kissed me, whispering, "put it in my mouth for show—I'll give it back. See if we can do it." He raised an eyebrow and I grinned. Of course he wouldn't eat cake, but the photographer wanted a picture!

I cut a small piece and picked it up. He opened his mouth and I placed the piece of cake on his tongue. He closed his mouth around the cake and smiled. I leaned over and pretended to kiss him, but opened my mouth so he could slip his tongue into my mouth as I pursed my lips and removed the cake. I think everyone thought we had just lingered a bit over our kiss, not knowing what really had gone on. I swallowed the cake I had taken from his tongue and felt myself growing tingly and slightly damp with desire. We gave each other looks that nobody else would understand. This life was going to be different, living with a vampire, I thought, but I was sure I was going to have fun!

"You are amazing!" he whispered to me as Josef and Simone talked to each other in low voices. The photographer stood up and asked if there were any other pictures we wanted, and we told him he could take off and thanked him profusely. He wished us luck and took his leave of us. He said he'd be sending the proofs soon.

After a while, Josef and Simone stood and said they needed to be going. They would go change and fly back to LA tonight. I hugged Simone with tears in my eyes.

"Thank you so much, Simone! Having you here for all of this was so fun!"

She hugged me back and whispered, "Maybe you can do this for me someday!" We laughed, but I saw a little longing in her eyes that I hadn't seen before our wedding. I hoped she and Josef could work things out. I really liked both of them. Mick gave her a quick hug.

"You two have a great honeymoon!" she said to both of us, and I felt she truly wished it was her going on the honeymoon!

Josef hugged me first. "Thanks for being so good for this guy here," he said as he nodded to Mick. Mick raised his eyebrow at Josef. "No, really man! I see good changes in you since you two got together! I like it!"

"Thank you Josef!" I said with emotion obvious in my voice. "This was the best wedding—beyond anything I could have imagined!"

"I'm so glad you liked it. I'd say the day was a success!" He looked at Mick, then hugged him too. "Hey, brother, take care of each other now." They patted each other on the backs, then Josef took Simone by the arm, starting toward the door. He turned around for one more thing.

"Hey, Mick, the jet will be back for you on Saturday for your, ah, trip." He waggled his eyebrows and licked his lips.

"Thanks, Josef. We'll call when we get there." Mick nodded to his friend and we watched them catch the elevator.

"Well, I'm going to take a big piece of this cake with me!" I said, heaping a piece onto a plate. One of the servers took it from me and added another piece.

"I'll wrap this up for you, Mrs. St. John," she said and took off toward the kitchen.

"Did you hear that? She called me Mrs. St. John!" I was beaming at Mick.

"Well, you are if you want to be. I wondered if you'd keep your name for professional reasons."

"I wondered about that too, but I want your name, Mick. I want everything you have to give me. Nobody will even notice if I go by a different last name, I'm sure. I think they remember me for my face, actually!" I gave him my best cover shot smile.

Mick laughed. "I'd have to agree with that, Mrs. St. John! You do have the most beautiful face!" His eyes were caressing me, and the sweet little smile on his face told me that he was as thrilled as I was--we were both kind of shocked, I think, that we had actually pulled this off! He looked around us as we stood on the beautiful balcony. "Anything else you'd like to take? Maybe some flowers? Bella is having your bouquet preserved for you, but pick out any other flowers you'd like to take up to our suite."

I plucked a giant bundle out of the arch and put together a large bouquet for our room, which Mick thought was funny, but he waited patiently.

When I was finally ready, I went to the bathroom, picked up my purse and met Mick so we could head to our suite. He held my cake for me in one hand and took my hand in his other one.

"Which suite will we be in tonight?" I wondered out loud.

"You'll see" he said rather secretively, making me look up at him. "You'll see, Beth! Come on! Let's go!" He ushered me into the elevator, this time taking me to the top floor. We got off and right straight ahead were double glass leaded doors. Mick slipped a key card into the slot and they opened automatically.

"This isn't our room," I said kind of stupidly.

"It is now," he said in a sexy, low voice. He then put my cake on top of the bouquet, picked me up, and carried me into the huge, elegant room. I gasped! It was so like a fantasy! Mick set me down, and watched as I turned around and around with my mouth open. "There—I had to carry you over the threshold! So—I take it you like our suite?"

I knew my mouth was hanging open, probably not attractive, but I was astounded by the sheer beauty, elegance and lavish appointments of our "home" for the night! It was all crystal, marble, indirect lighting, sculptures, chandeliers, and gold. I hadn't ever seen a place like this!

"Mick! What is this? It's like a palace!" Fitting, I thought, for a princess!

"Oh, they usually put the whales up here, you know, the Japanese bigwigs, princes, presidents, all the big players. Tonight it's all ours. Think we can have some fun in here?"

I nodded, so taken in by it all that I couldn't even think of what to say! Finally I looked at Mick, who was smiling at me with his hands pressed together over his lips, a funny little gesture he used when he was trying not to laugh, I had noticed.

"I think this will do just fine!" I breathed. "Show me the bedroom!" I said, putting the cake and flowers down on a table that looked like it had probably cost more than my car.

"Let's look for it," he said. The place was so huge, I thought we might be hiking for a while! Mick pushed open an ornate door, and inside was an enormous bedroom with every possible amenity you could ever dream of! In the center was the biggest bed I'd ever seen, with a huge, high frame that went almost up to the ceiling, which had to be at least fifteen feet high! "I don't think we'll need the TV, but the bed is looking great to me!"

When he looked at me, my heart almost stopped. His stare shot straight through me, so full of want and need. My stomach lurched looking at him, so tall and handsome in his beautiful tuxedo. He took my breath away over and over, he was so magnificently handsome! I watched as his tongue slowly licked his lips, and felt myself getting weak with desire.

"I could see myself on that bed," I said, trying to sound casual.

"And I could see myself on that bed on you," Mick said with hunger in his voice. Our mutual longing was there between us, suspended, being held in check so it could be savored more slowly. I felt we both wanted to prolong the anticipation.

Mick took a breath and blew it out, then looked at me with an appraising eye. "You aren't hungry by any chance are you?" he said sweetly. "I mean, do you feel like a snack before we begin a long night of sleeplessness?"

Suddenly I felt a little growl in my belly. "Actually, yes! How did you know?"

"Well, I could use some liquid refreshment after this long day, and I thought you—with the baby—might be needing a little food before we. . ."

"Yes!" I said enthusiastically. "I'm in--let's go!"

It took us a few minutes to find the kitchen, but it was big, beautiful and fully stocked. The refrigerator was so camouflaged into the surrounding cherry wood of the cabinets that we walked by it a couple of times before figuring it out! It held an array of fresh fruits, cheeses, beverages and A-positive.

"Wow! The Wynn is a vamp-friendly place!" I said.

"Thank goodness!" Mick said as he poured his drink from a carafe into a chilled glass.

I heaped a plate with fruit and cheese, grabbed some crackers from the cupboard and poured myself a Pellegrino, which looked tempting in the frosty glass. We went into the adjoining room, which was a media room, with a lot of places to sit and about ten flat screens on the wall. Mick stretched out on a reclining chair, I put my goodies on a little table and sat next to him. We ate in silence for a minute.

"I don't know how you felt about today, Beth, but I loved it!" he sighed and sank back into the soft leather.

"HA! That is such an understatement!" I said chewing and swallowing. How was it possible to be this hungry already?

"I guess. No words really describe today." He took a sip and looked at me.

"Are you happy?" I asked him because he suddenly seemed so serious!

"Beth, I'm so blown away that you are my wife that I can hardly even speak! Happy is such an understatement!" He shook his head. When you were saying those vows to me, I almost lost it!"

"I know, Mick, I felt the same when you said your vows to me. I thought I'd melt down right there!"

"It was pretty cool! Really cool! I never knew getting married could be so—amazing. I mean, I guess I was technically married before, but the marriage was over before it began, so I really feel this is my first time." His eyes blazed with what I took for hope that this night would be the wedding night he had always dreamed of. It would be, if I had any say in the matter!

"Oh, Mick. Oh, honey, I—I'm so sorry you were ever hurt. It breaks my heart to think that anyone could ever hurt you—but when you tell me how it feels to you now—I'm glad you feel like this is your first time. I want to be your first."

He picked up my hand and kissed my fingers. "You are, Beth. You are my first ever true love."

"I feel exactly the same," I whispered.

We sat in silence for a minute. I felt so incredibly close to him.

I tried to stifle a little yawn, but Mick saw it.

"You're getting tired, aren't you?"

"Oh! It's been such a full, wonderful day! I guess I am tired!"

"Let's get back to that big bed soon. Are you almost finished?"

"I'm just going to get a little cake, and I'll put the rest of it in the refrigerator. Are you—did you have--enough?"

"I'm fine. I'll get the cake for you—just stay here." He got up and went into another room, and I noticed the lights turning on automatically as he walked through the suite. What a deal! He came back and handed me a small plate and fork. I helped myself to a small piece.

"You know," I said, "I am still just awed! I mean, what Josef did for us, Mick!"

"I know--he owed me before—now I think that's completely turned the other way!"

"We'll have to think of something nice to do for him. I know, he said he already had something for us to do. Do you think he meant turning Simone?"

"I have a feeling that's what he meant. I'm not sure I want in on that!" Mick coughed. Turning someone into a vampire was, to him, a pretty serious thing, and not something he would ever want to do.

"I'll have to tell you about my conversations with Simone when we were alone. You might find it interesting. But not now. Now I want to go to bed."

"Music to my ears!" Mick beamed. "May I escort you Mrs. St. John?"

I smiled. "I love it when I hear that name. I loved your name when I first saw it on your ID! Now it's my name too, and I love it even more!" I nodded to myself and took a drink. "Cool. Very cool."

"I'm so glad you like it--I do love sharing with you, but right now I want to share much more than my name with you. Just a name isn't enough."

"No, probably not, but it's big."

He laughed, then I laughed too. He said, "speaking of big. . . "

"My thoughts exactly!"

We left our dishes out in the kitchen and went back to the bedroom, holding hands as we traversed the vast expanse of hallways and enormous rooms with luxurious furnishings. At last we found the bedroom. I swung around, looking at Mick. "My things! They're still down in my room, Mick!"

He walked over to a set of doors which hid a walk-in closet, and there were all of my things! I hadn't even unpacked my suitcase, for the most part, and all of the bags from the boutique were there. I looked in the bathroom, which was literally the size of my apartment, and by one of the sinks, sure enough! My cosmetics and toothbrush!

"It's all been moved here! This is amazing!"

"It's the world of our friend Josef, Beth. I hope you don't get too used to this!"

"Never—I'd live in a soddy as long as you lived there too! Besides, this is just way too much to have to clean!" We both laughed then. Funny how we seemed suddenly shy with each other.

I went to him and put my arms around him, and with my heels on, I had no trouble kissing him. I kissed him under his jaw and thought how fun it was going to be taking off all of these beautiful clothes and finding his skin underneath them. I heard him groan and felt his arms come around me.

"Beth! Finally, you are truly MY Beth!" He kissed me like he'd been wanting to all day, like I'd been wanting to kiss him! We freely let our tongues and lips, explore and taste, luxuriating in our finally being alone and able to express everything held inside all day. The kiss lingered on, and soon it became needier and needier. Mick picked me up, still kissing me, and brought me to the bed. He put me down gently, then got on the bed facing me. He kissed my face and neck, then down as far as my dress would let him go.

"MMmmm. I want to kiss your entire body!" he said as he pulled me over to lie on top of him, holding me with both arms, kissing me ardently. We stopped and looked into each other's eyes for the millionth time today. What I saw in his eyes mirrored my own desires.

"Kissing my entire body might take a while," I said, completely out of breath.

"I have time. How about you?"

I lay down on top of him, putting my head on his chest. "I've never been so happy, Mick."

"Ditto."


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Honeymoon in Vegas**

I lay on top of Mick, enjoying the feel of him under me and his arms wrapped around me, simply holding me for a minute or two. We were silent, enjoying the peace after all of the events of our perfect day. I finally moved first, raising my head, finding his eyes, looking into them, seeing his want. He smiled shyly and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear.

"I don't only love you, Beth, I'm so IN love with you that you make me feel vulnerable." He looked pensive, and I felt a sudden little jolt of sadness for him. I understood perfectly what he was saying, though.

"Oh, Mick," I said, "I know how you feel, but I'm different, remember? I'm the one who won't hurt you. I'm the one who loves you more than I love my own life, and I'd die before I ever did anything to cause you pain."

I was looking at his face, so sweet, so open. For once, it was Mick, not me, who needed protecting. His precious soul couldn't be trampled upon again.

"I know that, sweetie. I can't let myself think about my past, that's all." He stroked my cheek with the back of his finger.

I touched his face, looked into his eyes and smiled . "This time, you married your best friend and that's why this time it's right. This time, you're with me." I touched his cheek again, then stroked his chin lightly.

"Remember when I was shaking the first time we made love? And you said not to be afraid because it was just you? Well, now, it's just me, Mick, and I could never, ever risk losing my best friend, so I give myself to you, too, open and completely vulnerable, trusting you not to cause me pain either. Mick, we'll take care of each other, won't we?"

He sighed and closed his eyes. "We will. I'll never let anyone or anything hurt you either, Beth. I promise."

"I know, Honey, I know," I whispered, and kissed the cleft of his chin, and kissed him on the mouth. "Without you, I—well I can't imagine life without you. Don't ever let me find out what that would be like."

"And I live for you—I have for a long time." He opened his eyes again, and I felt them searching me, looking into my soul, and I knew he would see nothing there but a love he could trust. He rolled me over and kissed me again, this time with our eyes closed, kissing slowly, long, deep, kisses of surrender, healing, giving to one another the assurance that this was IT—this was our one, big love, and it would last forever.

"I need you, Beth. I need you so. . ." he sighed into my mouth, kissing me again with urgency and so much emotion that I felt his body tremble with the need in him.

"Mick," I murmured against his lips, "I need _you _so much, so. . ."

His mouth came down on mine, taking, taking, and I gave back, as our bodies moved instinctively against each other, so close that even through all of our fine clothing, we felt ourselves touching, intimate, wanting, aching.

Mick stopped and whispered, low and sexy, looking at me intently. "I want to undress you very slowly, savoring you, kissing every inch of your body as I go, and I want you to do the same to me."

I shivered with anticipation and my eyes told him that's what I wanted too, as my hand grasped the beautiful tie he wore and pulled on the flat bow, feeling it give and unravel in my hand.

"I am going to love you so completely, Mick, that you won't be able to breathe. I'm going to show you what your wedding night should have been, and I'm going to make it all up to you for every second of pain you've been in since that night so long ago."

"I don't want to remember it, Beth—I don't want to, but. . ."

"But it happened to you, and it's only natural you'd be thinking of that night now. That night was terrible—this night will be full of wonder and joy. Give yourself to me tonight, and I will cherish you as you were always meant to be cherished, Mick."

I watched as he let my words sink in for a second, then he flopped over onto his back with his arms outstretched. "Here I am—I'm all yours. Take me, my Love, and have your way with me."

"Oh, believe me! I will!" I kissed him hard and sought out one of his hands with mine, taking it, intertwining our fingers. I pulled back and held up our hands.

"See our hands Mick? They fit perfectly together. Your fingers, long and strong, mine smaller, weaker, fitting in between yours. This is us. I fit with you—we are the perfect fit. Your strengths take care of my weaknesses, but I fill in the gaps. Together we're whole, and we're safe. If it takes all night, I'll make you believe that by morning."

"I feel safe with you, honey. With you, I'm healing. I want you to know that." He sighed and closed his eyes again, letting me begin unbuttoning his shirt, button-by-button, as I kissed every inch of newly exposed skin, working my way down to the waistband of his tuxedo pants, pulling the tails of his still crisp, white shirt out, kissing the tender skin showing just above his waistband. I blew lightly on that tender skin, watching goose bumps rise. I heard Mick breathing hard. I undid the button and clasp above the fly of his slacks, then pulled down the zipper. I was surprised to find him wearing underwear, black, skimpy, and tight, and it made me feel a strong surge of desire as I saw the shape of him under the thin fabric.

"Oh, a surprise for me! I like it!" He laughed as I pulled his fly open and put my mouth on him, blowing a breath of hot air into the fabric, caressing his flesh with my with my open mouth, loving the feel of him growing hard as I caressed him with my lips.

"My, my, I do love this," I said as I took my hand and rubbed it against his firm flesh, still hidden by the soft skin of the thong he wore. "It's going to be really fun to take that off of you!" I said as I moved off of the bed, sliding until my feet hit the floor. I undid the beautiful shoes he had worn for the first time today. Wow! I'd never seen those before. Sexy shoes. I pulled them off, one by one, setting them down on the floor. I took off his socks and put them with the shoes, then bent down and kissed his feet, rubbing them in my hands.

"Even your feet are beautiful, Mick. You are so beautiful all over."

I rose up and took the waistband of his tuxedo pants in both hands and pulled them down, all the way off. I carefully hung them over a nearby chair. He lay on the bed as though paralyzed, breathing in and out audibly, his eyes closed, letting me "have my way" with him.

I got back up on the bed behind him, pushing against his large shoulder so he was mostly lying on one side. With my other hand, I pulled down the sleeve of his tux jacket and pulled it over his hand. Then I took out the cuff link from his shirt, palming it before pulling his shirt down his arm. He was half exposed now, and I slowly kissed his arm from the shoulder all the way down to his hand, kissing each finger, then sucking each one. I was rewarded with more moaning. I went to the other side of him and basically performed the same routine. After more moaning, I got up, again and pulled the clothing out from under his body, put his cuff links into his pocket, and hung the items on the chair with the rest of his clothes. I got back on the bed and began kissing his face, his eyes, his cheeks, his lips, his chin, under his jaw, his chest, down his belly, and down to where the hair was pointing the way for me into his underwear, but I only kissed his hardness through the thong before moving down to his thighs.

Ah, his thighs! The inside skin was so sweet and tender! I kissed that tender skin, first one, then the other, and smiled as his moans got louder. His scent was making me wild! I wanted to go faster, but I kept up my slow, steady kisses, down to his toes. He was groaning, but it certainly wasn't from agony!

"Oh, Beth! Nothing can make me feel the way you make me feel!" He pushed himself up to a sitting position, and I saw that his eyes were glazed over with heat and desire. I stood looking at him with my own heat showing plainly in my eyes. "I feel your kisses burning me all over my body. I don't know how long I can wait!" He looked at me, still in my gown, and I saw the appreciation in his face. "I think it's my turn now."

He got off the bed and stood before me in nothing but a few small square inches of fabric, stretched so tight over his arousal that I imagined the thing just popping right off! I felt weak in the knees looking at his body, so tall, so firm, so strong and perfect.

He touched my hair. "Hmmm. This looks so pretty, but not very practical for what I have in mind. He pulled the first pin out, then another and another until my hair fell around my shoulders. He put the hardware down somewhere, and then I felt his hands on my collarbone, touching my skin so lightly, feather touches, then around to the back of my neck, then his fingers climbed up into my hair. I groaned with pleasure. After having my hair pulled up all day, having it loose now, with his hands in it, caressing my tender scalp, felt like heaven! His fingers played with my hair, and my head--he stroked, rubbed and lightly scratched. He picked up a long strand of my hair and smelled it.

"Mmmm," he said as he kissed it. "You always smell so great."

I giggled. "Oh, I do, huh? Wait until I get home from the gym some day!"

"It wouldn't matter," he said with certainty. "You smell exotic, erotic, like something to taste. I want you on my tongue." He licked my bottom lip, then bent to kiss me. My eyes were closed as I let HIM have his way with ME this time! I felt him reach behind me and pull the zipper of my dress all the way down. He pulled the dress off over my head and put it somewhere. I stood still, eyes still closed, barely breathing, hair hanging all over me, there in my lacy bra, panties, garter belt, stockings and high heels. I heard him inhale sharply.

"My God, Beth! You look like a goddess in a very suggestive little bit of lingerie! _You've_ surprised me now! Look at you!"

I opened my eyes to see him staring at me. I smiled shyly at him.

"Simone thought you'd like this—I guess maybe she was right?"

"Remind me to thank her!" He said with enthusiasm. We both laughed. Here we were in our underwear, me thinking he looked like a Chippendale's dancer, he thinking I looked like a lap dancer! It was strange, and erotic and funny.

"I'm glad I'm not paying for you to dance with me! You'd cost me thousands per hour, sweetheart!"

"Oh, you think so, huh? Well if you were a hired dancer for me, I'd have to rob a bank to tip you enough! Trouble is," I said as I looked down at his skimpy attire stretched to the breaking point, "there'd be no place to put the money!" We both laughed and he looked down at himself.

"I guess you've got a point."

"I think you do."

"Well, aren't you one to be making jokes!" He took a step back, taking me in from head to feet. He got more serious. "Honestly, Beth, you're just breathtaking."

He was barefoot; I was still in my high heels, and that put me at a height where I didn't have to stand on my toes to kiss him, so I did. He put his arms around me and pulled me close, spreading his legs, pressing himself to me, wriggling against me in a way that was both a playful dance and serious seduction. I was putty in his hands.

He pulled my bra straps down over my shoulders, kissing me in the space between my breasts as he reached around me and unhooked my bra. He pulled it off, and my breasts spilled out. He tossed the bra and took one breast in each hand, gently, so gently touching, kneading, very lightly, squeezing as he took one tip into his mouth and suckled, laving the hardening point with his tongue, then sucking harder yet. I inhaled sharply.

"Ahhhh," I sighed, feeling pressure let go and build at the same time. He was just as attentive to my other breast, and by the time he was done with them, they were hot with desire, perky and wet. He moved his lips on down my skin, kissing as he went, past my belly button, then kneeling on one knee as he continued on down to my panties. He cupped me with his hand, and I moved against it, feeling myself getting wetter and hotter under his touch. He rubbed me through the lace, and I had to bend over and put my hands on each of his shoulders to keep from falling over.

"Oh, I want you so much, Mick," I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. His shoulders were so amazingly formed, hard under my hands.

"You are hot and so wet—I can feel you through the lace. Right here," he said as he touched me, pushing a finger upwards. I moaned with longing. "That's where I'm going to end up with you tonight, sweetheart. Where you let me inside of you—that's where I'm going to love you until you get hoarse from screaming with pleasure."

"Yes, please!" I exhaled loudly.

"Oh! These are so pretty and sexy! I hate to take them off! But—I will," he said, undoing the garters, unhooking the garter belt and tossing that. My eyes were still closed, so I was surprised to feel him pick me up and put me on the bed, setting me down ever so gently, as though I were something fragile. He took off my shoes and pulled my stockings down. All we were wearing now were our little thongs, which weren't enough to keep us apart for very long!

"I want to taste you, Beth!" he said as he slowly pulled my panties down my legs and off of me. I felt him touch me, his hand pressing at my point of need, and I groaned with pleasure, as I quivered with want. He gently parted my legs and I cried out as he put his tongue inside of me, pushing gently at first, then deeper and harder. It took me completely by surprise, but the shock waves of pleasure caused me to push myself toward his invading mouth, causing his tongue to plunge deep inside of me. He pulled out and licked each swollen petal as he parted me with gentle fingers. I almost cried out again, but bit my lip and concentrated on breathing.

His tongue pressed hard on me, right at the point of my most urgent need, pressing down, letting up, pressing in circles, licking, loving me, driving me mad with want and finally bringing me to the edge I couldn't stand on, and over I fell into the throes of a strong, pulsing orgasm. He inserted his finger into me as I quivered and sighed, letting the waves take me, letting his mouth caress and suck me, suckling me to higher and higher heights of pleasure, then letting me come down from the crest as his relentless mouth kept pleasuring me.

I was both sated and terribly aroused now. I lay still, trying to catch my breath, getting my strength back. He waited for me, blowing little puffs of his breath on the places he had just wet down with his mouth. The cold sensation caused me to quiver again with longing.

I struggled to sit up. Mick simply looked at me with a shy little smile.

"That was sure fun," he said unashamedly. I smiled back.

"Time for payback," I said, getting off of the bed and reaching for him, pulling down his underwear, exposing his large, swollen member which was, at this point in time, tall enough to qualify for a ride on Magic Mountain without its mother along.

"Get on the bed," I said, still panting, and pointed to the blankets. He dove headfirst into the deep bedding and I dove on top of him, lying on top of him, my front to his back. I rubbed my breasts against his back and he made a muffled noise under me. I kissed the back of his head as I put my fingers in his hair, lightly scratching his scalp, rubbing him there, as he had done to me.

"I do like your haircut—I think it brings out even more of your curls cut like this." Oh, how I loved his hair!

I then made my way down his back with my lips, kissing down the groove his spine made, sliding my hands over his velvet skin, kissing all the way down to his butt, where I kissed each cheek, then kneaded them in my hands as I listened to him moan softly into the blankets.

I got off of the bed—his legs were sticking out straight and were half off of the mattress anyway. I pushed his legs apart so I could see his sack, and I kissed it and licked it from the awkward position I was in. He groaned again.

"Do you want more?" I asked, breathing fast. "Tell me if you do!"

He rolled over onto his back, eyes closed, "I do!" he said, offering up his feast to me. I crawled over him and kissed his lips. "Let's move so we're not sideways on this mattress. I have some plans for you." I said it in such a way that his eyes flew open, looked into mine, saw that I was dead serious, and he flipped his body up and around so that his head was on a pillow and we were square with the world.

I got on top of him, backwards, so my butt was staring him in the face. I figured he may as well enjoy the view while I got to work. His own tasty delights were right where I wanted them.

"OMIGOD!" I heard him say as I went down on his rock hard flesh, pumping the base with my hand, sucking him hard from the top with my mouth. I was giving him some good up and down motion when I felt my hips being pulled back, back, back, and once again, his mouth was hot on me, his tongue massaging, probing licking, his lips sucking as I sucked and licked him. Our mouths were terribly busy, and we were noisy too, with lots of mmmmmmm'ing and slurping as we feasted on each other's flesh.

It wasn't too long before I felt Mick tense under my hand, his testicles contracting as his orgasm began. I kept up the motion I had begun, up and down, pump and suck, as he came, hard, surrounded by my hot lips. He was still working on me, but I felt his breath puffing on me down there, which made me quiver and shiver.

His tongue was rubbing me in such a way that I could hold out no longer, and soon, I, too, felt the spasms of release squeezing me, pulsing against his tongue now planted firmly inside of me. I was moaning and making muffled noises with him still in my mouth, as I heard him too, and felt him, muttering pleasure against my tender skin where his tongue joined us, and we came together, intimate friends, reveling in our mutual fantasy, each other, high on our shared joy and release, each of us quivering, licking, sucking, and groaning. I pushed myself back against him, as I held him tightly in my mouth, and I wondered if this might set a record for the longest mutual orgasm ever.

When he stopped pumping himself against my mouth, I let go, as did he, and he laid his head back on his pillow, completely spent, as I collapsed with my head between his legs, my feet somewhere over his ears, imagining how funny we must look, and I sincerely hoped we wouldn't die of pleasure right there. The police photos would be all over the walls of the precinct!

At last I managed to lift my head, and then I slowly pulled myself around and slithered up the length of his body, then lightly bit one of his nipples, which made him open his eyes. We smiled at each other, happy and semi-satisfied. Then he started laughing, and I joined in. We laughed and he tickled me, and we rolled around together on the bed, giggling like kids, loving the feel of each other, loving what our bodies could do together, laughing gleefully to let off even more steam, and needing to touch constantly.

"Mick! Omigosh! That was so—fun!" He smiled up at me, his eyes hooded,

"And we've only just begun, my sweet little treat!" We both laughed and I buried my face in his neck, grabbing him around his chest.

"My God! Mick!"

"I know—it keeps getting better, doesn't it? I never stop wanting you, but every time we're together, it gets more exciting! How is that possible?"

"True love."

"Yeah, true love. I've finally found it." We snuggled silently for a while, Mick's arm firmly around me, holding me close to his body. I kissed him over and over, chest, neck, nipples, I couldn't stop loving him with my mouth. After a while, when we had at last settled down, I realized I needed a bathroom break.

"I have to pee. I'll be right back." I sat up to get off of the bed, and thought I felt him rise behind me. I got off the bed and walked into the bathroom, surprised to see him follow me in. I looked at him quizzically.

"Do you mind if I come in here with you? I want to rinse off my face." He looked at me with a kind of funny little boy look. Like I had caught him with his hand in the cookie jar.

I looked back with a knowing smile. "Hey, if you get off watching me pee, that's fine with me!"

He now looked seriously surprised. "How are you so smart? I can't get away with anything around you!"

I shook my head.

"You might find this strange, but I do 'get off' watching you do all the little human things you do. I want to watch you brush your teeth, too, if you don't mind, and I want to watch you brush your hair. I love watching you just be—human, I guess."

I gave him a funny look, like 'say what?'

"No, I mean it!" He insisted. I tried not to tap my foot. He was in my potty space, and I had to go.

"Beth, the little ordinary human things—I haven't seen them or done them for so long—they fascinate me. Maybe that's why I love to watch you eat! It's so—normal. I hope you don't get freaked out by my little fetishes with you!" He watched me sit down and pee. He smiled.

"Hey, if I can please you THIS easily, I think we're in for a very happy life!" I pulled off a wad of tissue. "Is this exciting too?"

"All of it. Everything about you is exciting to me, Beth."

I got up, flushed and then got my toothbrush out. "Well, as an encore performance—I will now brush my teeth!"

He smiled and pulled a washcloth off the rack. He turned on the water and squeezed some soap onto the cloth, running it under the water, and I'll have to admit, even though I was busy brushing my teeth, I felt a sudden stab of intense love, watching him wash his face. Maybe it was just the intimacy of the two of us being in the bathroom together, doing the mundane little things we do, watching each other for the first time, brushing teeth and washing up.

I waited until he was done, then took over the sink to spit and rinse. Sure, this bathroom was the size of Texas, and we had at least two sinks here, but sharing and touching and being close—that was part of the honeymoon, I guessed. I washed my face quickly while Mick watched, and as I took the soft towel he handed me, my hand touched his hand, and the electricity between us sparked yet again. Just his touch made me shiver! I peeked out at him from over the towel. He was grinning.

"This IS fun! See? This is just what we needed—time alone together to get used to each other away from work and everyday life. Do you feel it? Beth, do you feel this "thing" that's always there? I feel it so strong here! In the bathroom, of all places!"

"I do feel it, Mick. That "thing" that's between us is so strong that I just felt a huge stab of it go right through me just watching you wash your face!"

"That's what I mean! I love to watch the little things you do! I guess maybe it goes both ways? I feel like I'm falling in love over and over with you!" He took the towel from my hands and set it down on the sink. He pulled me into his arms and held me. We were naked, and I was starting to get a little chilly. I shivered.

"You're cold. Let's warm up." He took my hand and led me out into the bedroom, but led me to the glass door which went out to the balcony. He opened the door, and outside there was a beautiful low-lit spa, and all around us and above us shone little twinkly lights, making me feel as though we had our own private Milky Way with a bath. There was an ice bucket with a bottle chilling, and glasses beside it.

"I had the spa turned down to 101 degrees. It's going to feel like a nice, warm bath. It won't be therapeutic for muscle strains, but I thought it would be better for the baby."

"Oh, it looks great!" I sighed.

"Allow me," Mick said, heading up the steps first, holding my hand as I came up behind him. He got in first, then reached out and lifted me into the water. I sank into the swirling warm pool. It felt blissfully relaxing. Mick poured me something non-Alcoholic and handed the glass to me. It wasn't too sweet and was very refreshing. I was a little thirsty after that first round of playtime we had just enjoyed. I sipped and we sat in the water, holding hands, The spa was big enough to swim in, but we stayed close, side-by-side.

After a few minutes, I put my glass up on the rim of the spa and flipped myself around so I was sitting on Mick's lap, only backwards, face-to-face. My arms automatically went around his neck as his arms came around my body, holding me. In the water, I felt so light, and I loved what I was feeling between my legs.

We looked at each other with yearning and kissed deeply and softly. This was romance! Mick was such a lover! For somebody so tough and strong, he was so gentle as he made love to me! When our kiss ended, he spoke:

"Hmmm. You look very beguiling, Mrs. St. John, with the ends of your hair swirling in the water and your nipples looking right at me. Ah, I can't keep my hands off of you!"

"Please don't!" I breathed as I lowered my mouth to his yet again. We began kissing once more, kissing sweetly, lovingly, savoring each taste of the other, each touch of tongue on tongue, lip on lip, making love with our open mouths, seriously 'making out!' I could feel him growing erect under me as I kept kissing him, and he continued to kiss me back.

"I love you, Beth. I love you!" he breathed into my mouth as I inhaled him.

"I love you back. I love you completely and I already want you again."

"I don't think we've officially consummated our marriage, Beth. You know it's not legal until we do." He laughed as my eyes flew open.

"Wow! I hadn't thought of that, but I think we had better do something about that! We do want to be legal, after all!" I smiled and he laughed gently, stroking my wet hair. I reached down into the water and found him ready. I held him tightly as I let my body sink down to enclose him, inch by glorious inch until he was completely inside of me.

He sat forward slightly and I wrapped my legs around him, pushing against him as I leveraged myself. I found that pushing against his back with my feet made me go forward, then relaxing, I went backward. So we began the rhythm, slowly at first, back and forth. I bent my head back and rode him, the wonder of the feel of him so large inside of me was still a surprise. He filled me up completely and never had I been so completely filled, his flesh in me, his arms around me, the love I felt coming from him. I moaned out loud. "Ogod!"

"Is that good for you?" he asked in a near whisper.

"Oooooooh! Yes! Omigod, Mick!"

We moved back and forth, steady, deep and even, our breaths synchronizing, in and out as our bodies echoed our breathing, in and out. I felt myself building to a peak just as Mick stopped the motion. I whimpered.

"Slow and steady, Beth. This is the consummation. This is it—I want to savor this."

"All right, but I'm about there, honey. I'm not sure I can slow down." My breathing was as ragged as his.

He licked my lower lip, nipped it lightly, then kissed me deeply, still inside of me, but holding still. When he was done, he whispered, "I think you can." He sat back and leaned against the wall of the tub and I went with him, holding him tight at the point of our joining, gripping him, both with my muscles down there, and my arms up here.

"I just want you so bad! I want you, Mick! I don't want to wait!"

His hands came around and grasped my butt. "I know, sweetie, I want you worse." His breathing was definitely uneven. He was kneading my flesh with his large, strong hands. I sighed. He stopped then and said, "Okay, lean back."

I looked at him as though he might have forgotten I was a human. "I might drown. I have to breathe, you know!"

"I won't let you drown, so just lean back." I did as he told me, and I leaned back into the water. I was surprised to find that I was floating on top of the swirling water. "It's the whirlpool effect. You'll float on it. Relax."

"You're inside of me—I can't relax!" I said kind of through my teeth. Exquisite torture, that's what this was.

Again he surprised me by slowly standing up. We were now at angles to one another, but still joined. I wrapped my legs around his back.

He grabbed a hold of my hips and drove himself deep into me. I cried out in pleasure. Then he did it again, then again. I put my arms out to my sides. I was floating free, letting him take me as he would, and take me he did, driving into me deeper and deeper still, pulling me back and forth, back and forth. I felt so completely consumed by him as he gave me what I craved, and I, in turn, gave completely back to him as well. Then I felt it coming, strong and fast as a freight train, and my back arched as I felt it hit me. My head went under the water for a moment, but Mick pulled up on me immediately, just as I started crying out, feeling the huge wave pleasure sweep over me. It completely engulfed me, as wave after wave of unmitigated bliss rolled through my entire body. I couldn't hear my own screams, since my ears were submerged, but later Mick would tell me that all I could say was his name over and over, as he drove harder and faster into me.

Momentarily, I could feel him tense and release as well, and together we came over one peak, and then another and another, joined forever, bonded to each other, now made even more extraordinary within the unbreakable covenant of our marriage.

He lifted me up, still inside of me. My legs were still wrapped around his back, and I put my arms around his neck. I squeezed him as hard as I could down below, and held onto him tightly, still wanting--wanting to be so close that if it had been possible, I would have crawled right inside of him.

"Merged into one flesh" flashed through my love-murky brain. That's what we had just done. That's what we were told to do, Biblically speaking, to become as "one flesh," and now I understood that. Our bodies were one, as my heart beat for him and his soul took me inside of him, forever to be loved and cherished.

Bound now for life, I felt overwhelmed by the enormity of this event, then add to that the fact that I was pregnant and weepy, so as I held on tight to Mick, I put my face on his chest and cried against his wet skin. He pulled out of me, lifted and carried me up the steps and over to a soft chaise. He sat down and gathered me to him, then flung a giant towel over us. He just held me, cradling me, and let me cry.

By now, I knew Mick wasn't one of those men who was afraid of a woman's tears. How had he gotten so sweet and sensitive with hardly any experience? At least not much in the past 55 years!

I looked up at him through teary eyes. "How did you get to be so wonderful?"

He took a corner of the towel and blotted my face. "I think I'm only wonderful when I'm with you—or else it's just that you think I'm wonderful when I'm really not."

"No, Mick, really—you said you've hardly even touched anyone for so long, and now here you are, being so gentle and kind with me, so understanding, so sweet! You're just--amazing!"

"Beth, oh, sweet Beth! I know how you feel. It's this--love—it's so intense. I never expected to feel anything like this with anyone, not ever! I'm not even myself anymore. You do know--it's no longer you and me, Beth, it's 'us,' and as one half of 'us,' I'm totally changed. I feel so completely different from how I felt before."

"I liked you before, Mick," I whispered.

"And _that's_ what changed me. And this is IT—this is the big love—it changes a person, don't you think? When you find your other half?"

I nodded against his chest, settling down as he held me tight. Yes, this was exactly right. This was IT.

"You are definitely IT for me. I could never love anyone like I love you, and I guess I'm just—pregnant—I don't know! It makes me cry! Loving you! It's so. . ."

"No words can describe it adequately, can they? I know, Beth. I know."

We cuddled a while, then eventually got up and walked slowly back to bed. Mick made sure I was completely dry, then he dried himself off, and we pulled back the covers and crawled into the luxury of sheets that must have had about a million thread count. They were like spun silk.

"Are you warm now?" Mick asked me softly as he spooned up behind me.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm warm and relaxed. Thank you."

He laughed softly into my ear. "I should thank you!" He reached up and turned off the bedside lamp. Now we were alone in the dark, and the dark felt like a comforting blanket, here with his body wrapping around me, safe in his strong, steady arms.

"Mick, I know it sounds stupid to keep saying this, but I really, really love you."

He reached for my hand and held it in his. "Ah, Beth, my life, my wife, my salvation, my healer. All of the years of hate for who and what I am are dissolving, and I feel so —grateful, and--happy!" He kissed me on my cheek. "You!" he said, his very breath pouring love into my heart. "All these years! It's been you all along! Only you, Beth! I've been waiting and searching for something—I never knew what it was, but it's you, and now you're here, and we're together, and I adore you, and you love me! What a miracle that is! That someone so good could love someone like me!" He sighed. I squeezed his hand.

"You, Mick, are good—I wouldn't love you if you weren't."

"But I've felt I was a monster for so long! And now—I feel the horror of that label I gave myself lifting completely. YOU are my miracle, Beth! And that would be enough! It would! It would be MORE than enough! But you carry my child inside of you too!" His large hand slid down and covered the skin of my belly. "I feel as though I've turned from a life cursed to a life so incredibly blessed! I've found myself through finding you. I WILL cherish you all of my days, Beth St. John." He exhaled forcefully. I turned around to face him.

"Then cherish me again, Mick. I need you again."

"Oh, maybe what we just did wasn't quite enough to satisfy the consummation rule?"

"Not nearly enough for me." I saw his eyes sparkling in the dark and felt him move toward me. I put one leg over his hip, bringing us intimately close.

We barely had to move at all before he was inside of me again. This time we moved very slowly as we kissed very tenderly. I wondered if I would ever get used to the heat I felt when I was with him, the intensity of the sensations he sent through me--the emotions he evoked, the closeness, to HIM that I felt!

"I love you so much, Beth, MY Beth!" I inhaled his sweet words as he moved within me.

"Ah, I love you more, my sweet husband, my lover, friend," I whispered softly, my lips against his.

This was an argument neither one of us could win. We rode the tide of passion again until passion turned to daylight, and we slept in each other's arms.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN - The Date**

Joef Kostan paced back and forth in his office, phone to his ear, listening intently.

"So that's all you've been able to come up with so far? They must be deep under cover.. . . Yes, I understand." He listened again, choosing a different path to pace. "So, Victor, what do you suggest? Money is no object, of course, and I want them found, and I want them found NOW!" More pacing. "Put it all in place and get back to me in the next forty-eight hours." Silence. "Of course. Good-bye, Victor." He snapped his phone shut and looked out of his window, thinking, 'well, that's one problem we're working on—now for this infernal LIST!'

He was wishing his friend Mick could be here to help figure this one out, but Mick was now somewhere in the middle of the ocean enjoying moonlit nights with his new wife. WIFE! And now Simone was hinting around! And she expected him to just turn her as soon as Mick and Beth got home!

"Complications," he muttered under his breath. "I HATE complications!"

--

I woke up to afternoon sun. I had slept all day! Wow, I needed it! All I'd done is get up occasionally for bathroom breaks and water chugging. I was always thirsty these days—and hungry! I looked at the note Mick had left me along with another rose on my pillow. I had gone to check and had seen that the note was true—there really was a freezer in the other bedroom. I assumed he was still sleeping in it. I put on a robe, brushed my hair and teeth, and went off to find the kitchen in this spacious palace of a suite. I followed the smell of food.

I walked into the kitchen, and there was Mick in his white Silkies, cooking something that smelled great! My breath caught in my throat just looking at him, half naked, cooking me breakfast! Would the wonder of knowing he was mine ever go away? Did every bride feel like this? I walked up to him and put my arms around his waist. He put down the spatula and turned to kiss me. We smiled shyly at each other. Last night had been so incredible! And here we were the next day feeling shy! I leaned my head on his chest. Body contact always seemed to bring us back to ourselves. His hands slid up my back, and one of his hands rubbed the back of my neck.

"How did you sleep?"

"Oh, gosh, Mick—I slept like the dead!"

"Well, that's excellent news. I figured you'd be up soon and that you'd be starving, so—how about eggs Benedict?"

"You made eggs Benedict?"

"No, I ordered them—they'll be here in a minute. I wasn't sure you liked them, so I'm just making you some French toast too."

"Mick! I can't eat all that!"

"Eat what you like—after last night, you need a lot of calories!"

He smiled and pulled my face up by the chin. "You look well rested. Now let's feed you." He bent down and kissed me tenderly as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, Mick—you keep doing what you're doing—"

As I was enjoying my enormous feast of French toast, milk, eggs Benedict, juice, fresh fruit, tea, looking at Mick(!), we discussed our plans for tonight.

"Want to go out on the town? Do it up right? Make up for when you stood me up in New York City?"

I squinted my eyes and glared at him. "You aren't being nice. I had to go home that night." I was trying not to talk with my mouth full, but the food was so good!

"No, you didn't, and I AM being nice, and since you did bail out on me in New York, I'm saying I want to take you out on the town now—maybe we can make up for that missed experience."

We looked at each other. I swallowed and took a sip of my orange juice. "Mick—I—if I could do that night over, I'd stay with you."

He was still looking at me. "I know. And—I know why you left. You were afraid you'd sleep with me."

I looked down at my plate, then back at him. "You're right. I was, and I would have, and I wasn't ready."

He blew out a breath. "I know that too. Maybe I wasn't ready either, but now—that's all behind us. Beth, let me show you how fun I can be on a date." He looked kind of pleadingly at me and I laughed. He laughed too.

"You're right—we really should date a little longer before we have sex!" We were both laughing in earnest now.

"I'm apologizing for not dating you longer, although we might have been dating a lot longer if you'd stayed with me in New York. . ."

"Enough about New York already! Yes! Let's go out! I'm up for it, and I can't wait to see how you act on a real date!"

He was smiling beguilingly. "Well, now that we have established that I'm sorry I didn't date you longer, and that we should actually start dating tonight, I just want to make a point."

I raised my eyebrows and his eyes twinkled at me. I sat back and folded my arms, still chewing.

"Fine. Make your point. I'm listening."

"All right. I would have suggested we go out on a real date, you know, that night, but you took off my pants before I could get a word out."

He looked at me as though he was very serious. I almost choked. Good thing I had swallowed!

"WHAT!? I did what?" I had to take a drink to push the food down.

He looked down at the table where his arms rested, then back up at me. "It's like I said—I would have dated you for a very long time, if you'd let me, but I can't help it if you undressed me and had your way with me before I could take you out."

My mouth was hanging open.

"See? You have no defense. You sit mute. Guilty as accused."

I got up and lunged for him. "MICK! You take that back!"

He stood up quickly and caught me under the arms, then swung me around, threw me over his shoulder carried me off.

"Hey, put me down!" I yelled ineffectively.

"I plan to do just that!" He laid me out gently on one of the leather sofas in the media room, then got on top of me and pressed me into the cushions. I noticed that he was aroused, but then, so was I. He looked into my eyes and I couldn't miss the wicked twinkle in his. "I won't take it back. I said I loved you and then you practically tore my clothes off."

"I did not! You seduced ME!"

"I don't think so. I just wanted to kiss you." He smiled at my outrage. "Say you seduced me."

"I will not!" I began wiggling underneath him, but he was solidly on top of me. I couldn't escape.

He looked serious now. "Say it or you'll be in big trouble. BIG trouble."

His body was pressing on me in all the right places, and my breasts, which had been very tender until his "treatment" last night, were squashed between us. He was much bigger than me, and I calculated my odds of escaping as pretty much nil.

"Okay." I said as I wiggled under him. "I'll admit it--I wanted you."

"And?"

"And WHAT! I said it!"

"No, I want you to say exactly what you wanted to do to me. Tell me."

His sweet breath caressed my face, and his body lying on top of me was making me hot all over. His eyes were so close to mine that they looked like one eye. Cyclops was on top of me! He just waited.

"Okay," I began, taking a breath, "you said you loved me and I went all weak inside and then we kissed, and as soon as we kissed, all I could think about was getting you to take me to bed. I wanted you to make mad, passionate love to me. There. That's how it went."

"Exactly. That is how it went, and that's how we both wanted it to go, and that was the beginning of my LIFE, Beth. And I don't know if we could have started it in New York or not, but I'm so glad we started it. It's never going to end, you know. I'll love you endlessly."

"Me too," I said, barely getting it out before his mouth completely covered mine and we showed each other again how glad we were that this love had begun.

After a while, we were back at the table, smiling at each other. I ate my fruit cup because Mick insisted that the baby needed it.

"Okay, let's take a shower and get dressed to go out. I can make reservations for dinner, if you'd like that—there are lots of really great restaurants here! How about a show? What would you like to do?"

"No—let's just wing it. Let's walk around and see what we find."

"Ah! You like unplanned dates! I did not know this about you!"

"See? We're learning as we go here. But I think it would be fun to just go 'out on the town,' as you like to put it, and let's see where we end up!"

"As you like! Remember it's miles between each casino around here, though, so put on sensible shoes!"

"Will do!" I polished off my fruit and smiled at Mick smiling at me. "I love watching you watching me, Mick. Thanks for the great ah, breakfast? Breakfast with benefits is it?"

"Hey! We're in Vegas! Breakfast is 24 hours a day here! And as for the benefits, well, I do try to please." He sort of smirked at me, then looked at his watch. I smiled back. "It's only 3:30 in the afternoon. Great time for breakfast!"

"Whoa! We did sleep a while, huh?"

He grinned. "We needed to crash, Sweetie—I don't think you fell asleep until about four in the morning."

"Oh, I'm aware of that!" I must have looked kind of dreamy as I forked one more bite of French toast and thought about why we had stayed up so late. "It was a perfect honeymoon night, Mick." He watched me lick syrup off of my lips.

"It was that and more." I could tell his mind was going back over the details too. I was hot again just thinking about him—us—last night! "I usually don't have any trouble getting to sleep, but my arms felt so empty without you in them! I might have to work out a deal where I can sleep in a freezer next to you with my arms sticking out to hold you."

I smiled. "Sounds good to me. I always miss you when you're not with me." We were quiet, thinking about how great it would feel to actually sleep together every night! "Maybe I just need to get a sleeping bag, you know, the kind they use on Mount Everest? Then I could get in the freezer with you!"

He laughed softly. "We'll have a lifetime to work it out. There should be someone figuring out some kind of vamp/human sleeping accommodations by now!"

I drank my milk when Mick pointed to it. I guessed he was going to become my dietitian now. I looked at him over the rim of my glass. His eyes hadn't strayed from watching me for a long time. Suddenly I felt a little self-conscious. I could only imagine what our little roll on the sofa had done to my hair!

"Do I look just awful?" I asked, trying to smooth down the mass of straw that was masquerading as my hair.

"Ah, Beth, stop. You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You just kind of—glow. It's like it comes from inside. I'm charmed and smitten. Hopelessly." He gave me a look like he was helpless. Now I was charmed!

"You say the nicest things! You know, it's said that brides glow, and also that pregnant women glow. I don't think I've ever observed that unusual phenomenon."

"So you have a double glow! No wonder you look so fetching!"

"Well, I feel like I need a shower! I must have a sort of dirty-headlights kind of glow!"

"Well, dirty, yes, but not that way—in a good way—the best way." His eyes were crinkling around the edges. I wanted to jump on him, but I thought maybe we should try to pace ourselves.

"Mick?"

"Yes darling."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can always ask me anything."

"Where are we going tomorrow on the jet?"

"I said you could ASK, but I didn't promise an answer!"

"You cad."

"You want to open your presents before Christmas?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you ARE a naughty girl. I never knew _that_ about you either!"

"See what you learn on a date?"

"We aren't on our date yet, and it's really very naughty to peek at your Christmas presents before Christmas, you know.

"I opened you up and peeked at you before we got married. Does that qualify as naughty?"

"Only in the very best way."

"So you aren't telling where you're taking me?"

"Only if you torture me."

"Aha! There IS a way to get you to talk! I just might have to resort to torture, but later—right now I need that shower!"

"Wanna hit the shower with your husband?"

"Definitely. Especially when he's such a dirty husband!" I noticed that his smile was turning into a leer. I got up out of my chair very quickly and started running through the place, hoping to find our bathroom before Mick did.

"First one in gets a special treat!" I shouted!

We were under the pouring water, having soaped each other, rinsed each other and washed each other's hair. I was on my knees. Why would I EVER think I could beat a vampire in a race?

--

We dressed and headed out. It was a warm night, but due to the dry, desert air, it wasn't too hot. We walked to the Venetian, which was kind of next door, next to the place we had gotten our wedding attire only a few days ago! We saw Madame Tussaud's wax museum and the art gallery, and got a peek at the Phantom theater as they were doing some work in there. That was spectacular. We decided we'd definitely have to come back here to see that show!

We took a cab north up to the Stratosphere and had dinner in the revolving restaurant at "The Top of the World," then went up to the observation deck. It was a pretty clear night, and we could see practically to LA. It was amazingly beautiful looking at all the lights everywhere. We spent some time picking out landmarks, then headed back down to the cabs.

Mick took me to the Paris for a Chai tea, and he had a Scotch. We played some slot machines and then Mick decided we should play some craps. I got on a hot streak with the dice and made the entire table happy! We won a few thousand, and that was really fun! Everyone clapped and cheered when we told them we had just gotten married, and they all wanted to see us kiss, so we kissed for them—Mick hammed it up a bit by bending me over his arm backwards and nailing me good right on the mouth. The crowd loved it!

Toward midnight, we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower and watched as the Bellagio fountain danced to the song "God Bless the U.S.A." It was so lovely with the colored lights! Mick told me the lights were white until the midnight show, and then they turned on the colored lights for the last song of the day. It was pretty cool with people singing along and watching the water shoot and twirl and dance to the music! Kissing at the top of the Eiffel Tower was really great too.

We held hands and walked the sidewalks on the Strip. There were still a lot of sight-seers out, and it was quite warm, even this late. Mick stopped and bought me a huge bottle of cold water. It was gone by the time our cab brought us back to the Wynn. I told him on the way back to our suite that I'd had a really good time.

"So you think I'm not so bad on a date?"

"Not bad at all! In fact, I'd go on a date with you any day!"

"I'm so glad to hear that!" he said as he squeezed my hand. "Makes me feel a little better now, I mean that we're officially dating. I don't feel quite as bad about New York, and I definitely would like to ask you out again!"

He unlocked our door and we walked into the dark, expansive space. I grabbed his hand. "I really did have a great time, Mick! I accept your invitation--I'll go on a date with you any day."

He reached around and grabbed my ass, a two-handed grab, and he pressed his body against me in such a way that I had to put my arms around his neck to keep from falling over. "Oh, I think dating you is going to be so much fun! I have it on good authority that you put out, so I can justify buying you dinner when I know there's sex coming afterward!"

"You'd better watch what you say, Mr. St. John, or your wife might have a ruined reputation, and that might reflect badly on you, but I still want to date you. Not dating you was terribly frustrating. I think at least two dates a week might be good?"

"That's a done deal, Mrs. St. John. You've got it, and you most certainly have got me. I'll take you anywhere you want to go. In fact, stay with me tonight, and you might just get to see fireworks! I guarantee--they'll be better than the fountain at the Bellagio!"

By this time, we had found our way back to the bedroom where we took our time undressing each other, then we made love very slowly, deliberately and passionately. I fell asleep so soundly that I didn't even feel Mick leave. It had been a perfect date! And he was right! The fireworks were spectacular!

The next morning I had a wonderful room service breakfast of pancakes and sausages, and then we packed up and left for the airport. Sure enough—there was the beautiful jet just waiting for us! I was so excited to see where we were going that I kept looking out the window, leaning across Mick's lap, trying to get a grasp on which direction we were headed, but I didn't have a clue. Oh well! I was sure wherever it was, we'd have a good time!

The steward came and asked if I'd like anything from the galley, so I ordered a sandwich and some milk and fruit. Mick thought he had used up the last of his A-negative this morning, but found one more packet to carry in his duffel. He asked the steward for a glass.

My light meal was served to me at the dining table. Mick stayed over in the comfy chairs on the other side of the cabin. He poured his drink into the glass and looked over at me as I took a bite. Mick was just sipping and staring at me, smiling as he watched me eat.

"You know, you're kind of a nerd that way, Mick, watching me stuff my face all of the time!"

"I suppose. It's just that you just look so cute, I can't help myself! And I'm thinking 'Wow! You're feeding our baby!' I can't get over that, Beth! It just blows my mind!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Your mind! How about mine? A few weeks ago I was just a single woman with no family, and look at me now!"

"I am looking at you now, and I absolutely love what I see."

"I guess there's no hope for us, then."

Mick sat up straight. "What do you mean? No hope for what?"

"For ever getting on with life. You spend your time imagining me naked, and I do the same with you. How will we ever be productive citizens again?"

"I'm not worried." He smiled slyly and sat back in the comfy chair. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Josef seemed to take our news well—I'm surprised," Mick said.

"Oh, really? Why? Vampires aren't supposed to have children, I suppose—well, they really can't, can they! So—what? He thinks you're an idiot?"

"Oh, well, yeah, he always thinks I'm an idiot, I guess—"

"He does not! He respects you, Mick! I'll bet he's missing you terribly right now!"

"Well, I'd be missing him too if it weren't for you keeping me so busy!" I squinted at him trying to look dangerous. "But no, he's not thinking our having a baby is stupid. In fact, just the opposite!"

"You think he's happy for us?"

"I think he is insanely jealous, is what I think."

"WHAT? Why would you assume that he's jealous of us having a baby, Mick? I mean, he's Josef! Of all the people in the world, he'd win my vote for 'Most Satisfied With My Life!'" I can't imagine our playboy friend would want to be tied down with children!

Mick just looked at me. He was sitting casually in a pair of older jeans, dark tan, a bit worn, and a cream colored Henley. He sat with his legs apart, looking very manly, and he had sandals on. Nice change from his work shoes, I thought!

Just looking at him spread out in that chair made my mouth water. This was bad. He might have been reading my thoughts with the little knowing smile he gave me. I told my mind to snap out of this habit of looking at him as a plaything all of the time! He turned and looked out of his window for a few seconds, then turned back to face me again. I kept chewing as he spoke.

"Well, he sure surprised me when we talked about having kids. Remember when I was looking for my pre-vamp DNA? I had my footlocker out, the one from the war, and I found that razor in it that we took to BioNalysis?"

"Yes, I do remember. Josef was there watching you and you two were talking." I flashed a smile at him. "That was the day he said we couldn't have a baby together."

"That's the day!" Now he was smiling. "That's also the day you told me that if we slept together it might not be any good."

I snorted and grabbed my napkin as milk came out of my nose. Geez! Attractive! I was coughing and laughing and Mick was just shaking his head and laughing out loud. I got myself cleaned up, but tears were coming down my face. I was literally hooting!

"Boy, could I have been more wrong?!" I managed to say before going into peals of laughter again. Mick got up out of his chair and came over to me where I was sitting at the table. He pulled me up out of my chair and looked straight into my eyes.

"I knew you were wrong, Beth. As soon as you said that, you laughed, but I felt a tug in my gut and down below, and I knew right then we'd be magic together."

"And we are," I said softly, looking at his full, wonderful lips, willing them to come to me, which they did. Before long, we were seriously kissing, so Mick picked me up and took me over to the fur-covered chaise that sat in a corner of the cabin. We cuddled and made out for a while, realizing we couldn't really DO anything with Josef's staff on board. So after several long minutes, we simply laid our heads down on the soft fur cover, looking at each other.

"I am seriously in love with you, Mrs. St. John."

"I'm very happy to hear that, Mr. St. John." I said it kind of matter-of-factly, but my insides felt all squishy. I still couldn't even comprehend being here with him in our own magic little world where I now had free access to him, to touch him, kiss him, make love to him! I still felt I was living in some kind of a dream.

"You're thinking, Beth," he said softly. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking I'm living in some kind of fantasy world and I'm afraid reality will set in any time! I mean, after all the months of feeling so—drawn to you—and trying so hard to deny those feelings, and now here I am with you, and I can touch you and kiss you and make love to you, and I'm so amazed. I'm SO amazed."

He grasped my hand in his. "It's amazing to me too, honey. That's why we're here. We need to get used to the fact that we hit the big jackpot. I got you—that makes me a winner!"

I held his hand tightly. "I love knowing your secrets and sharing secrets with you. It's just so wonderful to be with you! I can't help but wonder if I'll wake up from this dream and be heartbroken! Maybe you're still back in LA trying to stay away from me because I'm human."

He kissed my fingers one by one. "No dream. This is it—_we_ get to live our dreams, Beth, and not that many people are granted that kind of deal."

"I know! We are so lucky!"

"No kidding" He looked thoughtful, then said, "I wonder if this is what Josef wants with Simone."

"Oh! That's right! We were talking about Josef and got off the subject! So why would Josef be jealous, Mick? You're the one who wanted a family so badly! I'd think he would be happy for you!"

"Oh, he is—no doubt about that! He was happy for me when I thought Robert was my son! He called him "my last contribution to the human gene pool."

"Well? Where does jealousy come in then?"

"I thought he'd be laughing at me when I told him I was looking for DNA evidence and that Robert might be mine. I expected Josef to laugh and give me a hard time about it, but he really surprised me! He said that not having kids was his one regret, and that he didn't believe in regrets. I couldn't believe he said that!"

"Wow! That surprises me too!" I looked at our hands, joined, and smiled.

"You know, if Josef somehow could get a hold of the cure, I think he'd try to do what we're doing—having a baby, I mean."

"Really? You think he'd do that?"

"I do. In fact, it just occurred to me that he might be looking for Coraline right now—and if he should find her, or any more of the cure, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he tries to copy us."

"Wow!" I was shocked. "But I wonder who he'd get to carry the baby for him—he'd have to get a human pregnant, and Simone wouldn't be up for that job!"

Mick looked at me, puzzled. "Why not Simone? It sounds as though he's in love with her! He wants to turn her! That's a huge commitment! Probably even bigger than marriage, since it's forever!"

I must have looked at Mick strangely. He kissed my hand and said, "What?"

I took a breath. "Well, Simone told me a while ago that to vampires, we humans were just a—how did she say it—a "blip" on your radar screen? I believe that's what she said. She said that for you to love a human was to watch us die."

Mick shut his eyes momentarily, then opened them. "I suppose that's how some see it. I don't. I've lived for a while now as a vampire, and you certainly are more than a "blip" to me! But maybe she's right about that as far as Josef is concerned. After 400 years, he's seen so many people die. Maybe he's just more cynical. Well, I KNOW he's cynical."

"And maybe that's why Simone wants him to turn her—she wants to be more than a "blip." I mean, Sarah was important to him, and he tried to turn her to be with her forever. Stands to reason he'd want to do that with any other woman he might fall in love with."

"That could be true. But why do you think Simone wouldn't be a good mother for their child?" His forehead was wrinkled, wondering. I hadn't told him anything Simone told me when we had stayed together in our hotel room.

"I'm not sure how well Josef knows Simone. I hope he won't rush into anything with her."

"Why? I thought you liked her!"

"Well, I do—I like her a lot! It's just that I'm not sure she would be right for Josef!"

Mick just looked at me with a look that said, 'so what do YOU know?'

I hesitated, but only for a moment. "All right, she didn't tell me not to say anything, so I can tell you and then you can either tell Josef or not." He was looking at me, waiting. "First of all, she said she would never want to have children, and that was one of the reasons she wanted Josef to turn her—she'd never have to think about it again."

Mick raised his eyebrows. "Oh really! Now that is a revelation, isn't it? Hmmmm. I wonder if she's told that to Josef? Maybe she has."

"Maybe, but it would be important only if there is still a cure, and she doesn't know about that, right?"

Mick said, "I wouldn't think she'd know about the cure. Josef would have no reason to tell her unless he finds it. But then, he might not know about her not wanting a baby. I wonder how much she loves Josef? I mean, if she really loves him, she might reconsider."

"I don't think she does, Mick. She loves what he is, she loves his fun-loving personality and his generosity. I'm sure she's not 'in love' with him."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I asked her. I asked if she loved him, and she just said, 'well, everybody loves Josef!' like that. And I said, 'no, I mean like the I'll love you forever' kind of love."

"And what did she say?"

"That they didn't have the kind of love WE have, but it was more mutual respect! And as the wedding went on, she kind of got more emotional, I noticed, and I told her to hold out for her own Prince Charming. I'm sure Josef isn't her Prince—at least not yet."

"Wow. And Josef would turn her even with that little commitment on her part? I really wonder if he knows how she feels."

"Well, if I were Josef, I'd want to know. Simone is all ready to be turned when we get home! What if Josef is having second thoughts about turning her because he's going to try to find the cure, and he thinks he could get her pregnant? This could get somebody hurt."

"Wow. Oh wow. You're right." Mick looked like he was deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts," I finally said.

He took his arm and placed it over me and pulled me to him. Our faces were almost touching.

"Beth! Have I said 'thank you' to you for being willing to carry my baby? To have OUR baby? When you weren't even thinking of being a mother! You're pretty amazing. I am one very lucky guy."

"No," I said, lips touching his, "I'm the lucky one, Mick. I get to have your baby and no other woman in the world is as lucky as me."

Our kiss was so sweet, so giving, so loving. I couldn't imagine anything more wonderful than being just the three of us, right here, right now.

--

Ben Talbot sat in his office drumming the eraser end of a pencil on his desk. It bothered him to think about Beth. Every time he thought about her with St. John he wanted to hit something! He knew damn well in his gut that there was something really wrong about that guy! And he didn't figure out what was going on with the two of them until it was too late! He was fuming mad and tired of thinking about it. Not sleeping was taking its toll on his normally sunny personality! His phone rang and he picked it up impatiently.

"Talbot!" he barked into the receiver.

A muffled voice at the other end said, "Still have that list?"

Talbot bolted upright in his chair, suddenly on high alert.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"Tomorrow you will receive the time and place of our next meeting. Be there."

"Not unless you tell me—" Ben replaced the receiver, then muttered, "That bastard hung up on me!"

Now the dilemma. Go? Or ignore the call? It might be dangerous. Maybe it was a setup. Too risky, he thought. Well, he'd wait and see where the meeting was, and he'd decide later. St. John was on that list. He should go—it might save Beth. But what if someone had plans to get the ADA out of the way? You never knew what creep out there held a grudge! He felt even more stressed out now!

He picked up the pencil without thinking, and broke it in half.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN – "Mexico"**

We heard the captain's voice overhead telling us to strap ourselves in for the landing. I took the window seat and watched as we circled over the ocean, then flew over beach, palm trees and tropical beauty.

"Now are you going to tell me where we are?"

"Okay, we are heading to a villa in Mismaloya, a little bit south of Puerto Vallarta. We're in Mexico."

"Wow! I've only been to Cancun for spring break one year--I've never been here!"

"You'll love it. I was here a few years ago—Josef and I came to get away and do some fishing--just for sport, not for eating! Not the greatest idea! Josef's parties kind of took over the peace and quiet!"

"I can only imagine." I didn't think I wanted to know any more about Josef's parties!

We had to go through customs, which took a while, and by the time we were done with that and were heading for the door, I saw that the sun was beginning to set. We walked toward a shiny black Jeep parked outside of the customs area. The Jeep had an open top with roll bars. There was a man in a uniform who loaded our luggage into the back of the Jeep; Mick helped him, then came and got into the back passenger seat beside me. As I belted myself in, I looked at Mick, who was smiling broadly at me as he took my hand in his.

"We are going to relax and have fun, Beth. This is exactly what we need—some time alone together to forget the rest of the world for a while and just--be together!"

"Oh, I have no doubt about the fun part!" I smiled back and looked at my hand in his, which gave me a thrill and made my stomach flutter. I was hopelessly in love with my husband, and right now, I felt on top of the world.

We wound around beautiful resorts and private villas on the narrow highway to wherever we were going. The sun setting over the ocean provided a spectacular show as it made a beautiful orange-white backdrop to the lush trees, palms in black silhouette against the colors of the sunset, flowering shrubs and green vegetation along the road. Soon it would be dark, but Mick still put his sunglasses on as we rode along in the dying light of day.

I noticed that the terrain was hilly, with most of the buildings we were speeding by standing high on hills overlooking the ocean. It was so pretty that I wished we were going slower! We rode along for about a half hour or so, holding hands that squeezed and communicated silently our anticipation of arriving at our secluded destination. The feel of the wind in our hair, the nearness of each other, and the knowing we had two weeks alone was making both of us terribly eager to get on with the honeymoon! I could hardly wait to see where we would be staying!

The Jeep took a sharp right turn off of the main road and started driving up a circular incline, which was actually a very narrow driveway, and it felt as though we were going around and around until we finally reached the top of the hill. The first thing I noticed was how high up we were—we had a magnificent view of the endless sea. Then my eyes took in the villa. Even in the dark, I could see that it was beautiful--white stucco with a red tiled roof. There were welcoming lights on all over, inside the windows and outside, illuminating the path to the house. The lights in the entry were spotlighting a beautiful arbor with white flowers dripping from it, which smelled divine. There was a little terra cotta tiled space in front of the door, a kind of courtyard, with plants and pots and hanging vines with flowers everywhere. Two comfortable chairs and a small table sat out here, and a little fountain tinkled over in the corner. I decided that any house with an entry this pretty should be doubly gorgeous inside! Mick took out a large key and unlocked the aged wooden door, embellished with black wrought iron and a little window with wrought iron panes. We entered the foyer, and Mick said,

"Go ahead and take a look around. I'm going to help Eduard with the luggage—I'll be right back!" He gave me a quick kiss and ran back out the door.

I was immediately in love with the place! Someone was an excellent decorator, and had taken pains to make the villa both elegant and cozy, which isn't always an easy achievement! It felt very welcoming, with a huge bouquet of fresh flowers on the coffee table in the living room, which was set up around a huge, stucco fireplace as a focal point, which held a mantle of aged wood, upon which sat yet another bouquet of fresh flowers and some ancient-looking Mayan artifacts. The furniture was sumptuous, the rugs were colorful and thick, the windows were large and open with heavy velvet draperies which could be pulled over the openings to make the room dark; I imagined by day the view from up here was fabulous! There were more fresh flowers over in a corner of the large room in a small sitting arrangement perfect for two, with two large wing chairs and a small coffee table. I loved that the room was filled with flowers-- they literally made the entire space smell fragrant and romantic.

Mick and Eduard came in with luggage. Eduard carried our things up a beautiful curved wooden staircase with a fancy wrought iron rail embellished with wrought iron flowers interwoven into the rails, and we watched as he toted our luggage along the open walkway which overlooked the living room, as he hauled our things into what must be our bedroom on the upper level. When Eduard was done putting everything upstairs, Mick handed him a tip, and he handed Mick a set of car keys.

"What car are those for, Mick?"

"Oh, the Jeep. It's staying here with us. There's another car out in the drive right now—Eduard is riding back with someone else, and we get to keep the vehicle in case we want to ever leave here! So! What do you think?" We waved as Eduard left, shutting the door behind him, and Mick went over and clicked the lock into place.

"Oh! It's absolutely beautiful, Mick! I love it! I haven't even made it out of this room yet!"

"I'm glad you like it! The whole place is roomy and homey, but best of all, it's all ours for two whole weeks, and if we don't want to leave, we don't have to." His smile told me he was definitely thinking about just staying here! I'll have to say, the way he looked right now, so relaxed and happy—that seemed like an okay idea to me too!

We stood alone in the big room for a moment, then laughed and hugged. He held me tightly and I sighed with contentment. No work, no bad guys, just me and Mick. I might not ever want to leave, I thought.

"Wanna go skinny dipping?" Mick asked me softly, his mouth close to ear. "The water should feel great right now. It's low tide, too."

"Hmmmm. Skinny dipping, huh? How do we get to the beach? We're really high up here!"

"I'll show you—I'll go get some towels." He sprinted off down a hallway. I stood there, still awed by our surroundings.

I had my carry-on, a/k/a tote bag, in which I had stashed emergency supplies. This morning I had added my swimsuit and flip-flops, which I took out now. I'd somehow had a feeling that we'd end up on a beach, so I came prepared! Mick came back with two huge towels rolled up under one arm, and carried a key ring in his hand. He saw me holding my swimsuit.

"You won't be needing that here!" He looked at the suit, then at me, and raised an eyebrow. "This IS our honeymoon, right?"

"Oh, really? You think I'm going to just go butt naked on a strange beach?"

"Yes, actually I do, because I'm going to be 'butt naked' too, and it isn't strange, it's very private, so you'll keep your reputation safe!"

I looked at him skeptically.

"Hey! I wouldn't lie to you! I plan to enjoy this time, and I certainly don't want you mad at me! So—are you ready to get going? I can't wait to show this to you, Beth! You are going to love it!"

I put down my swimsuit, but kept the flip-flops. "Should I put these on now do you think?"

"Oh, yeah, good idea. I'm just wearing sandals--I don't want you to get sand in your shoes!"

He waited while I slipped off shoes and put on more practical footwear. Then he grabbed my hand and led me off in the direction of an archway, which brought us into a huge kitchen with a giant butcher-block-topped island with pots and pans hanging from a rack overhead. There was an enormous gas stove with about ten burners, very industrial, with a giant, industrial-strength air vent over it, and all the amenities you would find in a real cook's kitchen! I imagined Mick standing naked at the stove making me something to eat. Oh, this was definitely going to be fun!

We went through another wooden door which led out to another courtyard, this one huge, overlooking the ocean, which we could hear, but couldn't see in the dark. I shivered with excitement.

"Honey, are you cold?"

"No! I'm just so excited! This is really beautiful! Look at this place!"

The courtyard was more like an outdoor living room than anything! It had a tall, tiered fountain with water trickling over it. There was an outdoor kitchen with everything Mick would need to cook naked out here! There was a giant flat screen TV hanging on one wall with comfortable-looking outdoor furniture set strategically around it. Nearby, there was a fire pit with a large stack of wood ready to burn. Quite a party house, I thought! The whole courtyard was covered by a canopy of thatch.

Still holding my hand, Mick led me down a few steps to brick path that sloped down to a sort of cage with a gate, and this apparently held a tram. Mick turned on the flashlight he carried in his back pocket and had me shine it on the gate so he could unlock it. We stepped into the tram car and sat down across from each other. Mick pushed a button on the cage that enclosed the little car, and we began to travel very slowly down the hill toward the beach. I couldn't see any other houses or lights anywhere, so I guessed we must be pretty much alone out here—maybe Mick was right—he'd better be! I had nothing to wear!

We came to a stop and got out, walking down about five more steps before our feet sank in the still-warm white sand of the beach. It was fully dark now, but the moon was shining on the water and the white sand, making everything look luminous and magical.

"Oh, Mick! This is so beautiful! Look at the moon! I love to watch the moon rise over the ocean—we should do that for some of our dates when we get back to LA!

He was gazing out on the water, moonlight highlighting each wave. "I think that's a great idea, honey. Let's do it every time we have a full moon! We can walk along the beach and I can hold your hand, and I'll buy you an ice cream cone, and we can just sit and watch the sun set. That sounds like a perfect date to me."

I giggled. "Who knew you were such a romantic guy! I sure never saw that side of you! Not until we got together, anyway!"

"Like I've been telling you—this is not the same me you knew before 'us,' Beth." He pulled me close and held me, stroking my hair as I closed my eyes and leaned on him.

"And I told you I liked you before, but Mick, I'm just crazy about you now!"

"Oh, that's good because you're stuck with me now!" I raised my head and he kissed me, softly and sweetly, our lips barely touching at first, nibbling, teasing, then pressing as teasing became passion, our tongues hungrily tasting, slaking the flame that was burning inside of us. Soon we were kissing so ardently that I felt my body melting into his as my arms went up his back, holding him again, feeling his sweet breath on me, stirring my body, making me pant for him. When we came up for air, we simply smiled that knowing look of lovers who want so badly to hurry, yet want to savor each moment as they realize they have only begun a night of wonder. As we kissed again, I marveled at how my body responded to his, as if we were somehow in perfect sync with each other and knew instinctively how to please the other. How very unusual for new lovers to be this way, I thought. With the electric current between us charging the atmosphere around us as our mouths took each other, I had the feeling that I never wanted to stop holding and kissing this man who took my breath away any time I looked at him, felt him near me or even thought about him!

"I love you so much," I said softly against his lips. "Mick. . ." he continued kissing me until we couldn't stand being only this close.

"Come into the water with me and let me make love to you in the ocean." His voice had an urgent quality to it, and my mood matched his.

I nodded, then pulled his shirt off over his head. We undressed quickly and ran toward the surf, which was lit only by the moon, but was glowing as though lit from inside the water, somehow, making it soothing and inviting. I breathed in the salty air and held Mick's hand as he led the way into the crashing waves.

I gasped a little as we made our way out, waves splashing against my goose-fleshed skin. "It feels kind of cold!"

"It will at first, but I'll warm you up once we get out a little farther." I was shivering, so Mick picked me up around the waist and held me against him as he walked us into the powerful surf, jumping waves as they came, holding me effortlessly until we got out to a level about chest deep—chest deep for Mick, and nipple deep for me with Mick holding my feet up off of the ocean floor, that is. I'm sure it would have been over my head if he should have dropped me!

"You probably would know if there were any drop-offs out here, right?"

"Yeah, it's shallow even at low tide. You don't want to get too much farther out, though, because there is a pretty strong undertow."

"Well, don't let me drown."

"Not a chance, sweetheart! I have so many plans for you! I'd never risk losing you!"

"I trust you, Mick." I knew he was a very strong swimmer, and that was definitely comforting. I'd never be out here alone!

"Good, now hang onto me."

I put my arms around his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist, and we hopped the waves as they kept coming at us steadily.

"It's not so cold out here now, is it?"

"No, it feels refreshing! I love this!" Mostly I loved clinging to Mick with both of us skin-on-skin in the cool, vibrant water. I could see his eyes in the moonlight, and they sparkled with desire. I was sure mine looked similar to his.

He put his mouth on mine and we kissed as though we hadn't done this about a million times. Every time with Mick seemed like a new experience, somehow.

"Mmmmmmm. Oh! I love you so!" He didn't stop kissing me, and I didn't stop kissing him. It amazed me how much I wanted him—all of the time! How could we always be so ready for each other? This defied any rules of love I had ever known before, but our tongues tasted and our lips pressed together, hard and soft, and I rubbed myself against his body as I got all hot and wet with desire, turned on by his passion and his magic mouth.

When we finally pulled back from kissing, we were both breathing fast. My heart was racing.

"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like swimming," he said as he took a hold of my legs firmly, one in each of his hands. He walked us back to water that was a little shallower so my head wouldn't go under when he lowered me onto his erection, which I had been feeling as it grew steadily under my butt. I kissed him as he moved me down slightly, then with perfect aim he thrust himself firmly into me in one motion, like a sword to its sheath, and I swallowed him up fully within me, moving against him, kissing him, running my hands up into his hair, loving the feel of him in my hands and inside of me. God! How was it possible to love him so much!

We moved together in our own perfect rhythm, devouring each other with our mouths, giving and taking in every way possible. Still kissing, as our breaths came out in short puffs along with our grunts and moans, as we moved with each other, making waves within waves, murmuring soft words of love, sharing the wonder of nature surrounding us, engulfing us, sharing the miracle of our bodies as they moved together, as we became one with the Universe, one with each other, no space between us, no boundaries to separate us, intent upon our need to satisfy the hunger that pressed us on and on, unrelenting until at last we both reached the point of no return, and the rapture turned to thunder in our ears, spasms in our loins, cries into the air and into each other's hair as we kissed and sighed our joy, and rapture became warm, shared contentment.

As we slid down from the high we had reached together, I still clung to him, kissing him hungrily, still squeezing him between my legs, not yet willing to give up the oneness we shared. I felt the same desperation from him, not wanting to be separated from me just yet, as he continued to push and move inside of me until the rhythm began again, and the heat of our desire led us to yet another crashing climax! This time I bent my head back, letting my hair swirl behind me in the water as I clutched and held onto him, feeling his strong arms hold me as he too, cried out his release and I let go of earth and called out to the sky and the moon and the stars, while wave after wave of sea lifted and tossed us, and wave after wave of sheer delight swamped us, bringing us yet again to that place only we could find together, a place of such oneness and closeness that nothing in the world could sever the connection.

Spent at last, I pulled myself back up and laid my head on his shoulder. "Mick, oh! Mick!" I was still shuddering with pleasure as he held me tight.

"Beth," he whispered, breathing hard, "my amazing little water nymph." We stayed there for several minutes until our breathing was normal again.

When I had garnered enough strength to lift my head off of him, I looked into his eyes and watched as they sprouted little crinkles at the corners. I looked at his mouth, which was smiling as it came to rest on mine.

"MMMmmmmm, I love you, I love you, oh, Beth! I love you!" he said, his lips murmuring against my own, then he kissed me hard, full of passion, and I knew that, like me, he had not yet returned to a state of satiety, but rather our acts of love seemed to be building one upon the other, and we knew this night still held many magical moments for us.

He pulled back and looked at me in the moonlight. "Look at you! Beth! You do glow! The light of the moon makes you radiant!" His arms squeezed me so close, and I molded myself to his precious body.

"I never thought I could be this happy! I never knew I could feel like this! Oh Mick!"

He smiled and licked my bottom lip, and I kissed him again, giggling against his lips, still gripping him below, tightening my legs around him, getting the last few tingles of pleasure from our joined bodies. The cool water surrounding us felt exotic and sensual, and Mick felt like the most sensual, sexual being ever born as I ran my hands over the perfect skin of his back. He kissed my face, my lips, my neck, then back to my lips again. Parting was an unbearable thought.

"OmiGOD, Beth! You make me feel so—ah!! What can I say? I guess I feel like I'm the King of the World!"

I just held him as close as I could. "You make me feel the same, except maybe I'm a ravished princess." We stayed there, hugging tight, joyful and happy. Still, I wondered how good it was for Mick. He hadn't even vamped out on me since—well, for a long time!

"Mick?" I whispered close to his ear.

"Yes my darling Beth."

"You aren't vamping at all—does that mean the sex isn't as good for you as it was before?"

He gave me a look, kind of sideways and shy. "You have to _ask_ if the sex is good for me?"

"Well, yes—like I said, I haven't seen you get vampy or get fangs, and I just wondered if I wasn't as exciting to you as the first few times we made love."

He looked at me and shook his head. "Not at ALL, Beth! Not even close! The sex with you is just—so amazing! And before—I only did that a couple of times, so what makes you ask this now?"

"I thought you just, you know, went all vamp when you were having a good, you know, a good time." I blushed, glad he couldn't see me. How silly to blush while I was hanging onto him like a tree frog with him still solidly inside of me.

"Hey, don't be shy with me!" he laughed. "You mean when I come, why don't I get fangs and bite you?"

"Well, yeah!" I buried my face in his neck.

"I can't right now, Beth," he said softly. "You know I have to be very careful with you, now that you're pregnant. I have to keep myself in check."

"You can't bite me at all if I'm pregnant?"

"I won't let myself. It's not that biting or taking some of your blood would be so terrible, maybe not the best idea, but it wouldn't hurt the baby. What would hurt is if I really lost it and drained you. I'd have no choice but to turn you."

"I know, and I told you that would be okay—if it happens. I'm not asking you for it, but you know that I wouldn't be angry."

"I know, sweetheart, and I love you for that. But I can't turn you while you're pregnant—it would kill the baby. See, even having sex with me when you're pregnant is kind of risky. I wouldn't even do it if I didn't know myself well enough to know I can control those—urges really well. But, there is always a risk. Being human and being with a vampire is always taking a chance that something might happen."

"Oh! My gosh! I knew you were wanting to be careful with the baby and all, but I really hadn't thought of—well—that it would kill the baby! You must be feeling a load of responsibility that you didn't have to think about before--this must be pretty tough for you, then, huh?"

"No, not at all. Beth--I _love_ making love to you. And since I love it so much, it's easier not to vamp out. That's kind of a losing control kind of thing."

"But you did—like you said, a few times—you even bit yourself once!"

"And I would do that again before I'd bite you. That's why I'm not terrified of hurting you. I'm pretty good at self-control."

"I know you are, Mick. I just want to please you. I don't want you to have to hold back."

"You do please me! My God! Beth! I've never been so pleased! I don't have to do that to be completely satisfied! That might not hold true for some vampires, but with you, Beth, I'm—just—overwhelmed by how I feel every time we make love!"

"I hope that's true--I feel so selfish, 'cause here I am just going crazy with loving you, and I'm not even considering that you might have to be—not able to just let go like you want to--due to me."

He kissed me on the nose. "Hey. Don't even think about it, honey. This is so great! YOU are so great! I'm the happiest man on earth! Sure, the vamping and biting thing is intense, but honestly, you are the BEST lover I could ever imagine! Even without vamping!"

"Are you sure?" I asked as I hugged him and kissed his neck.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life, honey. Even if I never bit you again, I'd be completely happy and totally satisfied. Believe me!"

"I do."

Eventually, we decided to go in. I was starting to get chilly. Mick carried me to the beach, where he wrapped me up in one of the huge towels. We gathered our clothing, and when we were ready, we stepped back into the tram, which took us _up _the hill this time. I was really tired, but Mick took me into an outdoor shower so we could wash the sand off, and that felt wonderful. I let him soap me up everywhere and rinse me off with the detachable shower head. I held onto him as he showered off, then we wrapped up in fresh towels and headed for the bedroom.

Mick carried me easily up the stairs and placed me on a big wooden poster bed, made up with colorful quilts and homespun sheets. As I sank into the soft warmth, I felt my eyes closing, and Mick holding me close.

"Sweet dreams, my angel," he whispered.

"I love you, Mick," I purred, holding the arm he had around me, hoping in my semi-conscious state to keep him here with me for the night.

He must have stayed. I woke with recollections of making love over and over in the night, sleepily but enthusiastically loving him with my body, letting his love permeate my entire being until at last he slept too. In fact, as I opened my eyes, it became clear that his chest was my pillow, and my legs were all tangled up with his. He had an arm over me and slept so peacefully that he looked like a stubbled angel, perfect in shape and form, blissful in sated slumber.

Most of our first few days, we spent in the villa making love and sleeping during the day, and walking on the beach at night, holding hands, taking a swim, making love on a blanket in a cove, drawing corny hearts with our initials in the wet sand, building a pretty cool sandcastle, which took hours in the waning moonlight, then watching it disappear as the tide came back in.

My favorite thing was probably dancing in the moonlight on the sandy beach with Mick singing softly in my ear. He'd spin me and dip me back and kiss me sweetly. We'd part and dance down the beach, then come back together again, clasping hands and stepping in rhythm to his songs. I felt light as a fairy spinning in the magic twilight of a fairy tale with my very own Prince Charming adoring me. Yes, dancing with Mick in the magic moonlight with my head on his chest, listening to his beautiful voice resonating there, well, I doubt there could be anything more romantic than that! He definitely had been my Prince during this entire wedding trip, and every second I spent with him, I found that I only fell more in love.

Mick enjoyed cooking in the fully stocked kitchen, and we found more than one use for the butcher block island! That night my hair smelled of onions, which made us laugh. To say we were happy would have been to say the universe is large. We were so completely besotted with love that we could barely stay apart long enough for me to use the bathroom! (I agreed he could come in with me when I peed or brushed my teeth—other things, no!)

By Friday, Mick suggested we venture out a little. We had pretty much been in our little cocoon for almost a week without seeing another person except for an occasional glimpse of the maid, who came in at night when we most often were out in the courtyard or down on the beach.

"That's fine with me—where did you want to go?" I asked. It was late afternoon, and we had just gotten up. Mick usually woke first in the freezer room, which was a very beautifully appointed bedroom with a large freezer where the bed normally would sit, and he would come crawling into bed with me, all cold, which would wake me up, and then I'd proceed to 'warm' him up. After he was thoroughly warmed, we'd have our "breakfast," and decide what to do for the night. It was so perfect to be able to live on his schedule—I wondered how we'd manage when we were home again. I'd miss living on his nocturnal time clock. I found that living as a night creature was actually very nice! I found it profoundly peaceful, and didn't miss the hustle-bustle of daylight. Just another way we were compatible, I guessed.

"I had an idea to drive up the road a little bit—just a couple of miles or so, and we can park the Jeep down by where we turn off onto a little dirt road. I want to walk you up to the restaurant that's about a half a mile up the road. I think you'll find the things you see along the way pretty interesting!"

"How do you know about this restaurant?"

"Oh, Josef and I walked up the road and had a drink up there. People around here know it, and I think you'll love the food! I thought it would be fun to show you the local way of life along the way."

"Sounds good to me!"

We dressed in casual clothes, Mick in jeans and a long-sleeved white striped shirt, and sandals again. I had a cotton sundress and brought a sweater in case it got chilly. I did my hair in one of the two master baths we had, and Mick watched and talked as he leaned against the wall taking in everything I did. Yes, even brushing my teeth!

We took off into the late afternoon sun, both wearing our sunglasses. It was fun to be out driving with the wind in our hair. Mick looked good behind the wheel of the Jeep, and I had a hard time looking out at the scenery instead of watching his muscles under the denim of his jeans when he braked and clutched and shifted the gears. I was such a goner when it came to looking at him!

"What?" he asked when he caught me staring at him.

"Nothing—I just love to watch you drive."

He looked at me slyly. "Now you know why I like to watch you in the bathroom."

"Touché! Do you think we're weird? Getting off on watching each other all of the time?"

"Nah, we're just newlyweds. We're on our honeymoon so we can watch each other all we want and not have to explain it to anyone." He smiled again and I was love-struck once again. He had nailed it, though. We certainly couldn't explain this to anyone!

Mick downshifted as he slowed us down to make a right turn onto the dirt road leading to our adventure. We parked and decided it was useless to lock the thing up when it had no top on it, so we just took the keys and left it. Mick took my hand in his and we started walking into a tiny village. Mismaloya. This was certainly a new adventure!

--

Back in LA, Josef's phone rang just as he and Simone had finished having a great time in bed. Simone was curled up in a ball, hugging a pillow to her.

"Ah, let it ring, Josef. Who'd be calling at this hour?"

"Well, it's not 'this hour' in Paris. It's a friend of mine—Hello? Victor? Yes, what have you found?" Josef sat up and put his feet on the floor as he listened to his friend so far away.

"You are kidding me! No, I said YOU JEST!" he hollered. "Victor! Why would she be in New York? I thought she was in trouble with the Tribunal!" He listened and Simone put a pillow over her head. Josef seemed a little upset, but then, when he talked on the phone, he was frequently upset!

"Well, thanks for the information. I appreciate it. If you hear anything else, please call any time, night or day. Yes. Merci, Victor—"

Josef stood up and paced the floor. Why would Coraline come back to the States, and why would she be in New York City? What was she up to now? Oh, man, he'd better tell Mick—warn Mick, rather! Coraline would not be happy to find her 'ex' married to Beth! An unpleasant feeling of apprehension came over him.

"Trouble!" he said under his breath. "I hate trouble!"


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN – Surprise!**

Mick took my hand in his and we began walking up the little dirt road which led to the restaurant. We hadn't walked far before we came to a small village where the unpaved road was lined with little houses so close together that they looked more like row houses than stand-alones. The sun was low in the sky, so Mick wore his sunglasses, but I found I didn't need mine, and without them, the surroundings were easier to see in the light of the late sun. We could hear television sets on in the houses, most of which had their front doors open, children hanging out looking at us as if strangers walking by was a sight not often seen. Most people probably just drove through here, I imagined.

Some of the children came out and stood around us, acting shy, some giggling, all were very cute. Mick reached into his front pocket and pulled out a handful of coins, which he handed around to each of them until all wore huge smiles. Since we couldn't understand their animated chatter, we used the universal language of smiles, and found we could easily interpret their excitement and happiness at the small kindness we offered.

They were darling children, light brown skin, dark eyes, black shiny hair, all in rather tattered clothing that looked fairly clean, considering that the floors inside the houses that we could see into were dirt. Above us, down the village street, a single power line hung, and plastic milk jugs covered low-wattage light bulbs in a crude attempt at street lighting. There were a lot of dogs running around too, some barking, but most just kind of trolling, hoping for a handout, but unlike the children, wanted a handout they could eat! We smiled and waved when all had been given a coin, and they waved back and smiled sweet smiles as we continued on our walk up the road.

"I'm so glad you wanted to walk, Mick. This is really something special," I said, feeling grateful for my home, which was, by these standards, a home only rich people could possibly afford.

"It's pretty eye-opening, isn't it—to see how people live in other parts of the world."

"I'll say! But Mick, the children were so beautiful!"

"They are beautiful. I'm glad you got to see them. This place is literally dirt poor, but the people are happy. The little ones give you such huge smiles for nickels!"

I looked at him, walking along, holding my hand, thinking 'here is a man who has seen so much, and still feels so deeply.' I was touched by his sensitivity.

"I was absolutely charmed, Mick. They looked at you like you were some kind of benevolent god handing out pocket change!"

"And the little boys were not lost on your beauty, either! They couldn't take their eyes off of you! But then, you do look like something out of a boy's fantasy." His eyes grazed me and I felt flushed from the touch of them sweeping my body.

"You are such a charmer! Honestly! I get embarrassed when you lavish me with compliments! What in the world are you going to think when I'm as big as a house and ready to burst!"

"I'll think the truth, and I'll tell you as well, that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." He looked at me with that sideways glance that made my heart pound. "You know, I'm getting hot just thinking of you all big and round with our baby inside of you."

"Hah! We'll see!"

"Yes, I do believe we will see." He dropped my hand and put an arm behind me, so I put my arm around him as well. He had to slow his pace for me, long legs versus shorter legs, but we weren't in any hurry, and we were enjoying being out together, so far away from our world, still loving every minute of our time alone.

Outside of the village, the road began to slope gently upward, and we walked along at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sound of distant music coming from one of the houses, and the clean air of this sparsely populated area, close enough to the ocean to benefit from its sweet salt air. As we climbed steadily upward, Mick pointed to a place on a hill.

"There's where we're going. You're going to enjoy this, I think."

I looked up at the place and could hardly believe it was an eating establishment! It had virtually no walls, just giant wooden beams, and the roof was entirely thatch over more heavy wooden supports. As we neared it, there were a few more houses here and there, which I noticed looked cared for, yet they bore that weather-worn look that came from too much sun and not enough money for paint. There was a tree by one house that Mick pointed out to me.

"Look closely at this tree, honey!"

I walked up closer to it and jumped back so quickly that Mick had to catch me in his arms.

"I've never seen such a thing!" I said amazed.

Mick laughed. "I know! I remember this from the last time I was here!" We stopped and just stared at it.

The tree wasn't large, maybe eight feet tall, but it had a lot of branches, and on each branch, nestled into the leaves, sat a rooster.

"Those are roosters! Sitting in a tree! Roosting, I guess!" My mouth was kind of gaping.

"Isn't that just wild? I thought you'd be impressed!"

The sun was setting now, and as we approached the restaurant entrance, Mick took off his sunglasses and opened the door for me. There were quite a few cars parked haphazardly in the dirt on the sides of the road. As we stepped inside, we could see that the place was full of people, but none looked like locals, and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. The place was cheery and colorful, the tables and chairs looked well used and worn, and the floor was dirt. In one corner of the place, a 3-piece Mariachi band played lively music.

"This is amazing! The food looks and smells great, and I love the atmosphere!"

"Table for two?" the Mexican gentleman asked us.

"Si." We said in unison.

We sat and I ordered something I thought I could envision, along with the usual bottled water and a Coca-Cola, my current special occasion drink! We knew not to consume ice or water, and I ordered a hot entrée, so I figured I'd be safe.

"These are mostly Americans from the huge resort across the highway from here," Mick said. "I should take you through that place—it sits on Banderas Bay and you can see the ruins from the movie "Night of the Iguana," which was filmed here, in, I think, the fifties. Liz Taylor had a little house built for her on the bay while the filming was going on—there's not much left of the movie set, but it's a popular place to visit."

"Sounds fun. I've actually seen the movie. Black and white and kind of sad, as I recall."

"Oh, that's true, but the locals are still so proud that Hollywood came to their little place in the world to make a movie. It's on TV pretty much twenty-four hours a day—they want to be sure you see it before you go home!"

My order came, and I dove into it.

"How is it?" Mick asked me after I'd taken a few bites.

"Mmmmmm. Wonderful. Chicken and beans with rice and lots of cheese, and chili peppers with hand-tossed tortillas—I don't know what all is in here, but it's great!"

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled and watched me eat as he took an occasional sip of his beer.

"I didn't know you could drink beer," I said.

"A little is okay. I won't finish the whole bottle. Alcohol is one of the few things I can taste."

"That seems odd, you know, that you can't taste food when your sense of smell is so keen."

He nodded. "It is strange, kind of like all of the cells we used for tasting things ended up being transferred over to our smell center."

I chewed thoughtfully and took a swallow of my Coke, straight from the glass bottle.

"Does it ever bother you? The smells all around you? The heightened senses of hearing and smell—seems like that could drive you nuts if you let it."

He swallowed again and I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed in his neck. I forgot to swallow just looking at him.

"I guess it could—I've learned to kind of tune out the hearing thing except when I'm listening for something specific. You can train yourself to do that. The smells too—it's kind of just something you get used to over time. I suppose I'm like a dog that way—I perk up when I smell something interesting and ignore it when it's nothing."

"So how do I smell to you? Is it hard to be around me all of the time? Smelling me? My blood?"

He smiled and twirled his beer bottle on the table. "At first, when I was getting to know you, I think it was harder to smell you and be close to you, but you were never at risk with me. You know how much blood I saw in the war, being a medic, and maybe being around all that blood kind of helped desensitize me. I think Josef has a more difficult time with humans. I wonder if he'll have turned Simone by accident by the time we get back!"

"I wouldn't be surprised!" I said as I polished off my last bite.

"But, you—you smell like sweetness and kindness and love to me. Sure, sweet enough to want to taste you, but you're my wife. I'm used to your wonderful aroma! And I promise—no biting until the baby is born, okay?"

I smiled back. "Yeah. I guess I'm okay with that. I want to take really good care of little Baby St. John."

He nodded once. "Darn right. We have to be good parents right from the beginning!"

I could see the light in his eyes as he talked about being a daddy. I hoped and prayed it would all go well—I knew it would crush him if something happened to the baby. I just smiled and said, "You're right, and I can't wait to see who's in there! I hope it looks just like you!"

"Well, now, if it's a girl, I don't think you want her looking like me!" he laughed. "If it's a little girl, she should look just like her mama, because her mama is absolutely gorgeous!"

I beamed. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I think maybe you're drunk on half a beer!"

He leaned over and kissed my cheek. He whispered in my ear, "I'm only drunk on love, and I do love you!"

I was done and the waiter came. Mick left pesos on the table and rose. I followed him, and we walked back to our vehicle in companionable silence.

When we walked in the door of our villa, both of our cell phones were vibrating on the table, indicating that we both had messages. I took mine out into the courtyard and Mick stayed in the living room.

My voicemail held Simone's message: "Just wondering if you two have died from too much sex or what! We haven't even heard from you! Call if you ever come up for air! We just want to know you're okay—we figure you're having a great time and that no news is good news! I love you two!"

I smiled. Yeah, we had been pretty much out of touch with everyone, but we really hadn't come up for air very often in the past week! I stayed out under the canopy of stars, looking for constellations I could recognize. I heard Mick almost shouting in the house and wondered what was going on, so I crept through the kitchen, not wanting to disturb. He was plainly upset.

"Yeah, Josef! I can only imagine what she'll do when she finds out! You've got to go tell her—go find her in New York! I don't want any surprises when we get home! Not the kind she would pull anyway!" He paused, listening. "That's fine. We have the Internet here, and I'll just make reservations." He listened some more, and I wondered what was wrong. I walked to the archway where Mick saw me and nodded. "Thanks, Josef. Do what you can. I have a wife and child to protect now, you know!" I looked puzzled and he looked concerned. "Okay. Call me if you find out anything. YES! I will leave my phone on! Yes, thanks again. Good-bye Josef." He pushed the off button and disconnected the call.

I went over to him and touched his shoulder. "Mick! Something's wrong, isn't it!"

"Don't you be worried, Beth. Josef and I can handle this."

"But what is it? You said I might be in danger? What's going on back there?"

"Josef found out that Coraline is in New York City. He's going to go out there in a few days to see if he can find her. We're going to fly home commercial since he'll be taking the jet, and we don't know how long he'll be gone."

"So—Coraline is in New York. Can't we just leave her there?"

"I don't trust her. Beth, when she finds out we got married, I don't know what she might do—I can't take any chances."

"You think she might hurt me? Do you really think she'd do something to me?" I had a chill of memory of the scary lady who took me so long ago, even though it wasn't all that long ago that I had considered her a friend and colleague, not knowing she was who she was!

"I wouldn't put it past her, Beth. I just hope Josef can find her and send her back to Europe. Even being three thousand miles away isn't far enough with Coraline!" He was running his fingers through his hair, and I could feel the tension in his shoulders.

"You're right about that. Come on, Mick—let's sit and talk."

We sat on one of the brown leather sofas, Mick in the corner, me sitting sideways with my legs crossed, looking at him as he rubbed his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. He looked pretty worked up.

"You know, I thought she might be dead by now. Lance wasn't happy with her when he took her."

"I know—you told me. At the time, I thought you seemed kind of sorry about that."

"Well, she had given me the cure, and then she saved me by agreeing to go with Lance. He was going to kill me, and being human, I had no way to fight him. It was the nicest thing she has EVER done for me, but that doesn't mean I trust her!"

I reached out and put my hand on his arm. "Let's let Josef see what he can find out. We're safe here, aren't we, Mick? Nobody will find us here, right?"

He relaxed a little. "Yeah, you're right. We still have a week and I'm not going to let HER spoil it. We'll just have to wait to hear from Josef. He's well connected in New York. If anyone can find her, it's him."

"He'll get to see Sarah."

"Yeah, that's Josef's apartment where she is. He always stays there when he's in Manhattan."

"I wonder if Simone knows about Sarah."

"I don't know if he's told her. I suppose he will someday."

I turned around and leaned my head on Mick's shoulder, stretching my legs out on the sofa. "You know, that whole situation still makes me sad. Josef's one true love—you can see that he still adores her, and she's like Sleeping Beauty waiting for her Prince to come kiss her, but in their fairy tale, there's no happy ending. I can't imagine ever losing you! I don't know how Josef copes with seeing her like that, year after year!"

Mick drew me into his arms until I was sitting on his lap. I put my arms around his neck and we held each other close.

"We'll always be together, Beth. I won't ever let anything bad happen to you."

I kissed his neck and we sat like that for a long, long time.

Days went by and we still heard nothing from Josef. I returned Simone's call, and she was fine. She said Josef called her every night, but that his business in New York was keeping him a few extra days. She wasn't concerned, and I figured she had no clue as to what he was really up to.

We finally had a day that was overcast with heavy-looking clouds hanging in the sky threatening to rain. It wasn't raining yet, and Mick decided this would be a good day for him to venture out and not be immediately baked by the bright sunlight. He thought I should see the quaint little city of Puerto Vallarta, a very old city built around the ocean. We walked along the sidewalks where all of the major merchants of the world had gathered, putting their wares in the ancient storefronts that faced the bay where the giant cruise ships anchored. There were a lot of shoppers milling around—mostly people from the ships, and we could hear every language of the world spoken as they strolled by us with their GAP bags and huge bottles of Mexican vanilla, which I wouldn't have touched, having heard it might be poisonous! Others waited in line at the Hard Rock Café, and we chuckled about that--nothing like Gap clothes and a hamburger when you come to Mexico!

We walked up one street and down another, crossing a bridge that must have weathered a thousand years. The river was heavily used down below. I had never seen people washing their clothes in a river before, and we stopped to take in all of the activity while a lone mule brayed his distress at having to wait for them to finish the long process. The city was made up of mostly old buildings, but here and there a newer structure was mixed in, but overall the character of the town was Old World Charm. We happened upon a large flea market under a canvas tent roof, and we stopped to look over the large array of merchandise. Vendors practically assaulted us, pushing shoes and jewelry in front of us, but we shook our heads and kept browsing. I did stop at one booth where I tried on a beautiful hand-woven black shawl, which Mick paid for after the expected process of bartering and bargaining had taken place. Silver jewelry was the hot item here, but we avoided that like the plague.

Mick bought me charcoal-grilled skewer of chicken and peppers, which he said would be safe. There were a lot of food vendors in this area, but some of what they were selling didn't appeal to me at all—in fact, some I couldn't look at because it made me feel a little gaggy. He also got me a large bottle of water to keep me hydrated.

As we walked to the car, I thanked him for such a nice day. He smiled down at me and took my hand, placing it on his chest.

"Honey, any day I get to just be with you is a great day."

I must have glowed as I grinned at him while he held the door of the Jeep open for me, because he grabbed me and hugged me tightly before he let me climb in.

We made one stop on the way home. Mick pulled over in front of another old, brick building which said 'Pharmacia' on it.

"Do you need something in the pharmacy?" I asked him.

"Yeah, there's a vamp here who has some blood for me. Just stay here and I'll be right back."

He jumped over the door without opening it and walked quickly into the shop. I sat in the car. We had put the top over the Jeep for today, since it looked as though it might rain. Mick was wearing clothing that covered him up, as well as a cap and sunglasses, but I knew that even without the direct sun shining on us, the daylight had probably not been good for him. I hoped they served chilled glasses of A-negative inside because this much exposure to daylight would cause any vampire to droop.

I didn't even notice the two young men standing by my side of the car until I turned from looking across the street and saw them in the outside mirror. They were too close for comfort, and I wondered why they were hanging around me. I tried to ignore them, but they were talking and one of them pointed at me, making me feel nervous.

"May I help you?" I called out, trying to be friendly.

They apparently spoke only Spanish, but they crept closer to my window, as if thinking I had invited them. Well, there really weren't any windows in this getup, so no hope of keeping them out by rolling up a barrier. I hoped Mick wouldn't be too long.

They came right up to my window and sniffed. I slid back on the seat. Now I was very uncomfortable! They were talking very fast and seemed a little too excited. I did understand "Blanco," but not much else.

"I'm sorry—I can't understand what you're saying," I said, trying to sound authoritative. Then one of them leaned in and sniffed some more. "Please go away!" I shouted at the one who was invading my space.

"Ahhh," he said, nose in the air. "Sangre." He smiled, and I saw fangs. I felt a chill go up my spine as I looked into the swirling eyes of a young, hungry vampire. A second later, he was gone, and I saw Mick pick up the other youth and toss him into the air as well. He had what looked like a small, black duffel bag over one shoulder, and walked over to the first offender, picking him up with his free arm. He held the boy up in the air, and I couldn't see his face, but I could hear him growling. The boy looked terrified for a second, then Mick threw him a few hundred feet down the alley where the other vampire was painfully brushing himself off.

Mick jumped into the driver's seat and started up the car. "Let's get out of here," he said in a low voice that still sounded like half a growl. He maneuvered a very fast U-turn, and we spun out and sped toward the highway. Once we were on the road, Mick apologized.

"Beth, I'm so sorry for that. I should have taken you with me. I never thought anyone would bother you when I only left you for five minutes!"

I reached over and put my hand on this thigh. "It's okay, Mick. I was sure glad to see you, though!"

"Well, it won't happen again! Those little punks!"

"I suppose they haven't been as socialized as your circle of friends. It's okay—I'm fine—now."

"Well, I feel really bad about that. I heard your voice when you shouted, so I came running. Always, ALWAYS call out for me if you're in trouble! Will you do that? Promise me!"

"I will, Mick. I forget sometimes about your—abilities. I'll get used to it."

"Just promise me you won't try to handle situations like that yourself. You can't win when you fight with vampires, Beth. You have to call me."

"I will. I promise. It all happened so fast, I didn't think. I'll get better at thinking to call you."

He sighed and put a hand over mine. "I told you I'd keep you safe, and I mean that."

"I know, Mick. I know." I guessed it was good to have a guardian angel always near you, ready to save you whenever you called out for him!

The week sadly came to an end. Mick was a little worried that Josef hadn't called him, but we knew Coraline hadn't had him executed because I had talked briefly with Simone again, and she assured us that Josef would be back before we got home.

We packed up our things the night of Friday, June 13, in preparation for a flight back to LA in the morning. We'd have to be at the airport by ten, which wasn't so bad. There was no traffic here to fight, so the drive would be quick.

We went down to our beach one last time that night. This time there was no moonlight to welcome us, but we made love on a blanket in the soft white sand, and made out like teen-agers afterward. We swam and ran naked in the surf until it was time to dance our last dance, leaving our footprints in our magic place in the sand.

"Can we come back again someday do you think?" I asked as Mick held me close.

"Every chance we get, Beth. This has been the best two weeks of my entire life."

"Oh, definitely my best two weeks ever!" I said as he picked me up and swung me around in circles until I was dizzy. "I don't want to leave," I breathed into his mouth which covered mine a second later.

"I know. I don't want to leave either. I thought two weeks alone with you would be enough, but it's not."

It wasn't. I thought that even forever with Mick would never be enough.

We held hands on the plane. It was nice that we had the row of three seats to ourselves. We put the arm rests up, and Mick got his long legs tucked under the aisle seat in front of us while leaning back into the corner by the window, shade pulled, of course, to keep out the bright sun. I leaned back on him, and he put his arm around me. I played with the fingers on his left hand, looking at the shiny wedding band that told the world he was taken. It made me feel all warm inside. I looked at my rings for the millionth time. They sparkled, even in the low light of our little space.

"Mick, you know, I don't think I ever really thanked you for the beautiful wedding band! I meant to tell you how much I loved it, but never got around to it! But I do love it. It's so pretty with the other ring."

He lifted my hand up and gazed at the rings. "Yeah. Mom just had a really tiny little white gold band. I like the ring I got you much better. Once I saw it, I knew it was yours."

"It's called an eternity band, with the little stones going all around it."

"I know—that's what I liked most about it. I thought at the time I got it for you that an eternity sounded pretty long, but I'll have to say, after the past two weeks, it doesn't sound long at all."

I kissed his hand. "I know, Mick." We were quiet for a while, Mick leaning back with his eyes closed, and me leaning against the solid mass of his body.

"You know, you're awfully smart for a guy."

That made him open his eyes. I bent my neck back and looked up at him, seeing him smile down at me.

"You mean because it was my idea to get married?"

"That's exactly what I mean." I wrinkled my nose at him and he bent over to kiss the tip of it.

He leaned back again, still smiling. "I knew it would work out. And—it did!" I sighed and snuggled against him. The trip wouldn't be long, and soon we'd get home, and we still had tomorrow before we had to get back to work.

Mick clicked the lock on his door, and we pulled our luggage behind us into his apartment. Josef and Simone were on Mick's couch, Simone with a wine glass, Josef with the golden liquid he and Mick loved so much. Given a choice, I knew they much preferred 30-year-old single malt to blood.

"Welcome home!" Simone sang as she rushed over to hug both of us. "I suppose I don't need to ask if you had a good time?"

Mick hugged her back and said, "No—you don't need to ask. We both agree that we just had the best two weeks of our lives."

He put his arm around me and smiled down at me.

Simone looked at us with a little hint of envy in her eyes. "Well! I can certainly see that marriage agrees with you both!"

"It certainly does, Simone," Mick said matter-of-factly. He turned to Josef. "I had expected to hear from you, Josef! Anything new? How was New York?"

Josef looked a little uncomfortable. "I wish I had good news, Mick," he said in a low voice. Simone went back to the couch and sat down; Josef joined her, so Mick and I each took a chair.

"So, you didn't find what you were looking for? Is that what you're saying? Ah—business wasn't concluded successfully?"

Josef and Mick were staring each other down as Simone and I looked on. I wondered if she had any idea. Josef cleared that up for us.

"Actually, Mick, Beth—I told Simone why I went to New York."

"Josef says your ex is pretty scary, huh, Mick?"

Mick gave her a little glare. "Scary isn't even the word for it, Simone. You'd better just hope you never have to meet her."

Simone slid back into the cushions and took another sip of wine.

"I also told her about Sarah," Josef said. "I mean, we're living together now, and I thought it was time she knew the story."

Simone patted Josef's hand. "It's sad. Very sad."

"Doesn't the story of what happened to Sarah make you just a little bit scared about being turned Simone?" I asked.

Josef looked down into his glass. Simone shook her head. "Oh, no. I figure everything will be okay with Josef and Mick there. I'd trust either one of them to turn me," she said, giving Mick a look that I didn't particularly like. I wondered what Josef would think! "But—if both of these strapping men are there, well! I have no fear! I'll gladly place my life in their capable hands."

She smiled at all of us, and I think it would be safe to say that both Mick and I were having the same thought: 'This woman is a shallow dingbat.' We looked at each other and tried not to roll our eyes.

"So, Josef, you strapping young buck, when do you plan to turn your Lady Love?" Mick asked, trying hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice, but not succeeding in the least.

Josef looked evasive. "Ah. . ."

"Oh! As soon as possible, right Darling?" Simone interjected rather exuberantly. Mick and I looked at each other, then back at Josef, who looked as though something was caught in his throat.

"Simone—we'll have to discuss this. Later." Josef said quietly, but with authority. Simone looked puzzled and a little bit hurt, but she didn't say anything—for once she was quiet!

"Okay," Mick broke into the uncomfortable silence, "you spent a week in New York and didn't find Coraline? How is that possible?"

Josef looked oddly at a loss for words. "Actually, Mick, I spent most of my time trying to find Sarah."

Mick leaned forward. "What do you mean, you were trying to find Sarah? Sarah can't go anywhere."

"My aides all insisted that her father had her taken away. I tried to find him and Sarah, but I don't know where they went! For all I know, they're out of the country! I know the old man hates me—tried to blow me up! But how would he ever find out Sarah was still alive, for one thing, and how would he move her?"

Josef sounded hurt and miserable. Simone didn't seem to notice, but just kept sipping at her wine with her eyes big as saucers, taking in the conversation as if we were talking about which breed of rose bush to plant on the patio!

"I guess I could have used a good PI out there, but I didn't want to bother you on your honeymoon," Josef said softly.

"Hey, I'm sorry brother—I'd have met you in New York if you had called me. I'd be heading there right now!"

"Thanks, Mick. I'm not sure you'd find anything either. She's just—gone. Along with the old man, who I thought might be dead by now!"

Mick looked at his friend until Josef looked back up at Mick. "Did you say anything to Simone about the cure? I mean, she knows about that, but did you tell her you wanted to find Coraline AND the cure?"

Josef hedged. "Well, not exactly."

"What does that mean?" Simone asked bluntly. "Not exactly? What is not exactly?"

Josef looked at Simone. "I think we should talk about this later, Simone. There's a little more to this story than I've told you so far."

"Well, I'd like to hear it now! We can talk in front of our friends, Josef! If there's something you all know and I don't, well, I'd sure like to be in on the big secret!"

She gazed at all of us with an openly defiant look on her face. I felt sorry for Josef. Nobody said a word. We all sat in uncomfortable silence. At last Mick spoke.

"Simone—Josef is right. This is a conversation the two of you should have alone."

"Well, I don't get it! Josef! All of you obviously are keeping something from me, and I don't like it one bit!"

I was irritated by her tone of voice, as well as the way she was talking to Josef. I could feel Mick tense up next to me.

Josef took a huge gulp of courage, then turned to face his accuser. "Fine." He said angrily. "You want the truth so badly, well here it is: I want to find Coraline because she might still have some of the cure."

"So?" Simone asked in a way that challenged Josef to spill it all. I could see why she chose law as her life's work. She wasn't one to back down!

"Look, Simone, I want the cure so I can be human for a while."

She looked at him as if he'd sprouted a third eye. "What? Why would YOU want to EVER be HUMAN again? You tell me ALL of the time how much you LOVE being a VAMPIRE! Why do you think I want to be one? Because YOU say it's so DAMN GREAT!!"

I could see Josef's patience leave him. He stood up and looked down at her. I could only see his back, but I could imagine the fire in his eyes!

"I do love being a vampire, Simone, and the cure is temporary. But I want to father a child, and the only way to do that is to become human again—for a while."

There was a knock on the door, and Mick stood up to go see who it was. I remained riveted to my chair, even though I felt like a total eavesdropper. I turned and saw Mick opening the door. Whoever it was sure had great timing! I hoped he'd hurry back. I looked back at the drama queen just as she began her speech. She was fuming and obviously winding up for a closing argument.

"Well!" she spat at Josef as she rose to her feet to face him down. " You certainly aren't going to be fathering any children with ME! I don't want any kids! That's why I like being with YOU! You're a fucking VAMPIRE!! You can't get me pregnant, and I thought it was a sure bet you'd never ask me to have a baby! Are you insane? You want to give up our great life together with the freedom to come and go as we please just to have a kid running around so you can say you fathered it? You have to be out of your MIND, Josef! READ MY LIPS: I will NOT have your baby! Not now or not ever! Good luck finding some stupid bimbo to have your kid!"

By now she was almost screaming at him, and I was actually afraid for her. Josef didn't have the control Mick had, and even Mick could be goaded into vamping with less of an emotional scene than this was.

"I'd be willing," a soft voice said from behind me. I turned and almost fell out of my chair. She came forward with her companion walking a step or two behind her. "Josef! I'd love to have your baby for you!" She stood still, looking at him, tears running down her cheeks.

Josef looked as though he was paralyzed with shock. His mouth was actually hanging open.

Mick led the two women into the room. "Simone! I'd like to introduce you to my ex-wife, Coraline, and Josef's fiancée, Sarah Whitley."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN – "We Should Have Stayed in Mexico"**

For a moment we were all frozen in time, just like in a movie, where animation is temporarily suspended and you wait to see what will happen to unfreeze the frame. Josef moved first. He rushed over to Sarah and put his arms around her, and she grabbed him and hugged him as she sobbed against his chest while he kissed her hair and murmured things into her ear. I looked at Mick and he just shrugged and raised his eyebrows, as if to say, 'you know as much as I do.'

I saw Coraline standing behind Mick, watching Josef and Sarah as they tearfully reunited. She looked over at me and glared, and I felt like shrinking. I supposed this was how she had imagined her own reunion with Mick, but here I was in her way! I looked at Simone, who had a look of horror and disgust on her face, and I felt both sorry for her and relieved that Josef had seen her reveal her true self to him. Mick and I hadn't had to say a word to him about her.

"Excuse us," Josef said as he gallantly pulled a starched, white handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Sarah. He put his arm around her back and led her off toward Mick's office. A few seconds later, we heard the door shut behind them.

"What is going on here?!" Simone said in a low but very shaken, frantic voice. I got up from my chair.

"I don't know, Simone—do you want to sit down? Should I get you some water?"

She looked daggers at me. "I don't need water, Beth! I need to know what in the HELL this is all about!"

I felt Mick come up behind me and instantly felt the strength of his presence.

"Simone," he said evenly, "I think it might be best if you leave for now. I'm sure Josef will explain everything when he gets home. We don't know what's going on either, but let's give them some time to talk. After fifty-some years, I think that would be kind, don't you?"

She crossed her arms and looked at him, the hard-as-nails attorney coming out again. "I'm not going anywhere until I know what this is all about!"

"Your choice." Mick said, turning away from her and around to face me. "Beth—Maybe you could go get us some waters. I think we could all use a little cool-down right now." I nodded and went to the kitchen.

I heard him talking to Coraline. "Come sit down, Coraline. I have a feeling we'll all need to discuss some things here. Maybe you can shed some light on this—ah—what's happening here."

I walked in with a tray holding glasses and several bottles of cold water, which I set on the coffee table. Coraline took a bottle and began drinking right out of the bottle, wiping her lips with her fingers after the first huge gulps.

"Ask me what you want to know, Mick," she said matter-of-factly, looking at him with a face I couldn't read.

"How long have you been human again? You took the cure again, didn't you?"

"Yes, that would be correct, Mick." She took another swallow of water. "Mmmmm. You forget how good even plain old water tastes when you're a vampire! Right Mick? Ah well! I've been human now for about two months. Are you still human too?"

"No." He said it bluntly and looked at the floor.

"Oh, my! It didn't last as long for you as it usually does for me then! I'm so sorry, Mick!"

He looked back up at her and said, "Well, my human time was cut a little short. . ."

"Josef turned him back into a vampire!" Simone said with a gleam in her eye.

I was thinking that Simone could possibly cause a lot of trouble here with her blurting things out. She knew I was pregnant! What if she blurted that out! It was easy to see why Coraline was here—she wanted Mick back—that was sure an easy read, observing the way she looked at him with those big doe eyes, in stark contrast to the way she looked at me—if looks could kill! The tension was so thick I could have sliced right through it!

"Why don't you start telling us what happened with you and Sarah in New York, and tell us why you're here now," Mick said in a level tone.

As Coraline began her tale, I thought about all of the things that could go terribly wrong here tonight! Josef was probably seriously re-thinking his relationship with Simone, and that would be unpleasant, especially with Sarah returning from the land between life and death! Now Coraline was here for Mick, and Simone knew our secret! How long would she wait until she told her about the baby? Oh dear! I took a huge breath of air and reached for a water bottle. I poured it into a glass just for something to do. I didn't know who to look at! I wondered what was going through Mick's mind right now. He was obviously weighing his words very carefully, and I knew I needed to simply stay quiet and let him handle his ex!

--

Josef held Sarah tightly against him in the dark office.

"Sarah! How is it possible that you're here? Tell me I'm not imagining you!"

Sarah wiped her eyes and blew her nose and looked up into the eyes of her one true love.

"It's really me, Charles!" She sniffed. "I know--for you, I've been gone for fifty years, but for me, I only saw you yesterday! How did this happen!"

"Turning you went terribly wrong, Sarah. You never came out of it. I kept you in my apartment all of these years, and you never woke up, but you never aged either! I can't believe this! I mean, how—Sarah--how are you even here?"

"Can we sit, Charles? I'm feeling a little shaky. I'm still not used to being up for more than a few hours at a time."

"Of course! I'm sorry! What am I thinking?" Josef picked Sarah up in his arms and carried her to Mick's office chair behind the desk. He sat down, keeping her on his lap. She put her head against his shoulder and began to relax into him. "Is that better?"

She nodded against him. "Oh, thank you—it's so much better! And I need to feel you close to me! Charles, I didn't know what I'd find—Coraline had no idea what you were up to, and I was afraid that by now you'd have married someone else! I was so terrified when I found out I'd been asleep for all of these years! Oh, honey--I still love you! No time has passed for me, you see."

"Sarah, this is such a shock for me, but I'm so happy that you're all right. Please tell me—how did you ever wake up again? I'll admit—I'd lost all hope that you'd ever come back to us."

She sighed a big sigh. "I woke up in a bed I didn't recognize with machines beeping and a woman staring at me—I didn't know who she was! I was so scared! I tried to get up, but I couldn't—I had no muscles to move with. I could talk, though, thankfully! I asked the woman who she was and what was wrong with me."

"And that was Coraline?"

"Yes, she told me her name and said she was a friend of yours, and that she had been in New York looking for me. Then she sat down on the bed and held my hand so I wouldn't be so scared. She was really nice to me, and she told me that when she found out what had happened to me, she knew she had to come see me for herself. She said you had tried to go on with your life, but that you must still love me because you had never found another woman to take my place."

"That's true. I did tell her that several months ago when she was in the hospital after she was badly wounded. I thought she might die, and I wanted to see her one last time—she introduced me to my best friend, Mick St. John—we're in his place right now. I was in a hurry to get out of town that day, and she was in pretty bad shape from her injury, so I wasn't sure how much she'd remember, but it sounds as though what she's told you is true. So far."

"Yes, Coraline told me all about Mick and you, and how you are such great friends. She said she was married to Mick, but that they had been separated for a long time. She really loves him, though! She's hoping he still loves her too."

"Let's not go into that now, but I seriously doubt he will ever take her back. She treated him very badly when they were together."

"She says he's a vampire too, but that he's human temporarily because of that compound that she gave me."

"She gave you the, um, the compound? We also call it "the cure."

"Oh, yes. Yes she did."

"Can you tell me about it? About what happened after you woke up and found Coraline with you?"

"Okay," She took a breath and sighed. This was tiring, but leaning against Charlie was heavenly!

"Well, I woke up and Coraline was bandaging up my arm—it had a cut on it. She said she had some kind of compound that vampires use to become human again, and she wanted to see if it would help me wake up, so she put it in a cut in my arm, and it worked, very quickly, I guess! She said I woke up in about a minute!"

Josef kissed her on the cheek. "That's a miracle, Sarah. An absolute miracle."

"That's what Coraline called it too. But I couldn't move! After fifty years of sleeping, I guess my muscles had forgotten what to do, so the next day, Coraline had me taken by ambulance to a really nice place outside of the City, and I spent about six weeks there. They got me walking and using my muscles again—it was so hard, Charles! I even had to learn to eat again!"

"Sounds like some kind of rehab facility."

"That's what it was! It was called Lakeside Rehabilitation! They were all so great to me, so happy I'd come out of a coma, which we told the doctors had been for a year, not fifty! And Coraline came to visit me almost every day. By the time I was ready to leave, she had told me all about the world I've missed out on for the past fifty years! It's so amazing! People have little tiny phones they walk around with, and they don't have any cords!"

"I know—cell phones. It's amazing how technology has changed in such a short while, Sarah. I'm sure Coraline did a good job of filling you in, but you're going to have to learn a lot to live in this world! It's not anything like fifty years ago!"

"I can see that! Just the airplane we came out here on! I couldn't believe it! It didn't have propellers! And we didn't have to stop to re-fuel, even though we came coast-to-coast! It was fabulous!"

"Well, I'm not sure that's the word I'd use for it, but yeah, jets are much faster than airplanes."

"And we had little televisions on the back of the seats in front, and they were so tiny! I'm so excited to have you show me everything in this new world, Charles!"

"It'll be a bit confusing at first, but I swear we'll get you all up to date on things, Sarah. I need to know some other things first. Like—where is your father?"

"Coraline said he died. I cried when she told me Daddy was dead!" She stopped and wiped tears from her face as Josef just held her. "He'd be ninety-three by now, so it makes sense that he's dead, but the last time I saw him, he was only about forty! He was my Daddy, Charles! I miss him! And mama too! Oh, I wake up to this world where my parents have died, and I didn't even get to say good-bye!" She kept crying softly and Josef felt terrible that he couldn't do anything to help—except just to be here and listen.

"I know, Sarah. He loved you so much. He had a very hard time when you—ah—wouldn't wake up." Josef's mind was racing. Sarah and Coraline were right—Old Man Whitley was dead. He'd had that confirmed before he left New York to come back to L. A. back when Mick and Beth had come out and saved his life from that damned assassin the old man had hired to kill him!

"Did you find out how he died?"

"No, but I guess he was really old—I guess if I'd been able to wake up a few months ago, I still could have seen him! Oh, I just missed saying good-bye to my Daddy!" She dabbed at her tears and sniffed. "Mama died a couple of years ago, but I'm really hurting, you know? It's like yesterday I had Mama and Daddy and today I've lost them both! I'm an orphan now!"

Josef looked around for tissues, but didn't see any. The handkerchief was getting soaked, he noticed. How terrible for her to wake up to a world so different than the one she left! His deepest sympathy went out to her. Oh, if he could only have known back then what would happen! He'd have never tried to turn her!

He rocked her back and forth in the chair and said soothingly,

"It's okay, honey. I know they both really loved you, right up until they died. They always hoped you'd come back to them."

He had to leave it at that. The truth was, they never saw Sarah after she left to be with him. They assumed he had killed her, and he never told them anything different, simply moved away and made a new life as Josef Kostan.

"You saw them? Charles? You saw them before they died?"

"No, I just kept in touch with your father's care-givers. Over the years, Sarah, I've been back to see you often. It made me feel better just to be with you, even if you couldn't talk to me."

"Oh, Charles! If only we could have spent all these years together! I've missed out on so much!"

"Sarah, honey, stop. You haven't missed anything. I'm still here, and you're here now—maybe we can start over."

"Oh, I truly hope so!" Sarah kissed his cheek. "Nothing has changed for me, but I know—you have to get used to having me around again. I'll wait for you—as long as it takes! I love you so much, Charlie."

Josef started at her use of his nickname. It was so much a part of who they had been. Now he'd have to tell her that on top of everything else that was different in her world, he was as well. No longer Charles Fitzgerald, the man she had known back in New York. Josef was very different from the Charles she knew! He wondered if she could really still love him, once she got to know him again!

Josef hugged her hard against him. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. Old feelings long ago pushed aside were rapidly resurfacing. What a shock! To find out Simone was not the woman he had thought she was, and at the same moment he was finding out who the true Simone was, Sarah showed back up in his life! This was almost too much to process, even for an old soul like himself!

"Did you get back to your house Sarah? I heard your father died there. He was very ill at the end."

"Yes, before we left New York, I made Coraline take me to our apartment! It's still there, Josef! Just like I remembered it! Almost like fifty years hadn't passed! But nobody was there; it just sits empty. And I looked and looked for my necklace and my diary, but I couldn't find them! I hope they're not lost forever!"

"I have them, honey. Don't worry—I'll give them back to you. We can go back and clear the place out if you'd like to do that--I'm sure your father would want you to have his things. He must have a will—but then, maybe not."

'Quick thinking, Josef!' He told himself! The old man thought Sarah was dead! Why would he leave her anything in his will? Oh, wow. This was a mess! He hugged Sarah again. No matter what the mess was, they'd work it out. All that mattered was that Sarah was okay.

Sarah snuggled in closer. She felt so safe now that she was back in his arms again. "I'd like you to take me back there sometime."

"We'll do that soon. But tell me now, you got better at the hospital, and then you decided to come and surprise me? Why did you come here to Mick's place? Why didn't you go to mine And why didn't you call me to tell me you were alive?"

"Well, first of all, Coraline didn't want me to call you. She said it would be such a great surprise if I just came home to you! I didn't believe her after she told me how long you'd been waiting for me, but I said it would be okay. I really wanted to be all well and walking when I came to you."

"I guess I can understand that, but honey, I'd have come to see you in the Center! I'd have gotten you the best doctors!"

"Oh, Coraline took care of it. She really is very nice!"

"Ah, well—I'm really glad she was nice to you." He patted her arm comfortingly. About tonight, though—Coraline knows where I live—why didn't you both come to my place?"

"We did, but you weren't home, so we came here. She said if you weren't home, you'd probably be here with Mick."

"I guess she knows me too well. She thought it would be just Mick and me here, huh?"

"Well sure—we didn't know you'd be here with a group! Oh, Charles! I was so relieved to see you! I was so happy you were here—I have nobody now except you!"

Josef pondered her words and decided that was true. All of her friends would be very old by now, and her parents were dead, so that left him as her sole contact to her life. Wow.

"Yes, I'm glad I was here too, Sarah. You can't believe how I felt when I first saw you! I was just so stunned and happy!" Sarah leaned her head back and looked him in the eyes.

"I didn't know if you'd be happy to see me, and then there was that woman yelling at you!" She pulled herself upright in Josef's lap. "That woman! Charles, why was she screaming about not having your baby? She really frightened me! She was being horrible!"

"Oh, Sarah." Josef sighed, wondering how much he should tell her. She seemed awfully fragile right now, and that was understandable! "All I can say is this—a lot of things have changed in fifty years, but that doesn't mean we can't work through this."

Sarah was immediately worried. "So—was Coraline wrong? Charles! Did you get married?" She started to cry softly into the wilted handkerchief. "I knew it! You're so handsome and wonderful—of course you'd get married!"

"No—I haven't gotten married, Sarah! I just could never find anyone who meant as much to me as you did!" He kissed the top of her head. "Trust me, honey, I'm going to try to work things out, but it might take a little time. Please be patient."

Josef patted her on the arm again to try to settle her down. She always had been a little emotional.

"Well, Charles, I really hope that maybe you can love me again! But I think I need to know just WHO that woman is out there! And why was she saying things like that to you?"

Josef fingered a lock of her hair. "Sarah, don't be upset by this, okay? Her name is Simone, and she has been my attorney for a while. Recently she's been my girlfriend, but as of tonight, I realized we weren't right for each other, and we're going to break up. That's what you heard—she was very upset that we were breaking up. I realized tonight that this relationship wasn't right for either of us. The crazy thing is that you showed up tonight! Of all nights, you show up tonight!" He shook his head.

"You mean just as you're breaking up with your girlfriend, your old fiancée comes back."

"Right. You appear as if by magic right when I need you most. That's the way it was before, Sarah, and you cannot believe how much I've missed you all of these years!"

Sarah moved her head again to look up at him. "I don't care if it's been a thousand years since I saw you last—I love you as much now as when you kissed me goodnight after our last date."

"I—Sarah, I've missed you so much!" The last few words got caught in his throat, and he could feel his eyes begin to mist up. As he said the words, he realized just how true they were—he'd never gotten over her! Josef moved his arm from behind her back up to cup the back of her head as he bent over to kiss her. Memories flooded back to him as his entire body reacted to the smell, taste and touch of her. As their mouths met, he felt all of the emotions he had stuffed for so many years resurface, and excitement swamped him as he felt her lips move beneath his as she kissed him back, causing a stir in his groin and an ache where his heart should be beating.

"Sarah, I can't believe you've come back to me!" He kissed her again, this time with such passion that he felt her body reacting to him, pressing closer to him as she sighed against his lips and kissed him back, and he felt drunk with happiness at holding her again, kissing her! His Sarah!

"Oh, Charlie!" she said against his neck, "I was so afraid that you wouldn't even care about me anymore!" She felt profound relief being back in the arms of the man she loved. She reached up and pulled him to her again.

He couldn't believe how quickly everything about her came back to him, as if fifty years of sadness were all vaporizing, and all of the old feelings he had for her inside of him rose up and took over, pushing aside every moment without her, putting her here so close, as if no time had passed at all! He loved the feel of her arm around him, her hand in his hair, her mouth taking and giving. She was so soft and warm, and she felt so great as she turned her body to press against him as much as was possible within the limits of an office chair.

As the kisses lingered on, he thought, 'My God! I do still love her!' How unbelievable was this! After all these years, here she was in his arms and in his life again! He leaned back in the chair as far as it would recline, and she went back with him, still pressing herself close to him, no doubt feeling the growing evidence of his desire for her.

When at last the long kiss ended, he was as breathless as she was. "I still love you, Sarah. I can't believe it, but I love you as if no time has even passed for us! I want very much to make love to you."

"I want that too, darling—do you think we could go to your place?" She was shaking in his arms, and he held her tightly, trying to calm her, and in the process of doing that, by holding her close, he was also able to compose himself!

He knew taking her to his house wasn't an option. Simone must be there now!

"You know—Sarah? I think we need a hotel room for tonight—would that be okay?"

She looked at him with unabashed passion in her eyes. "I don't care where we go, but honey, I just want to be with you tonight."

"Me too, Sarah. Oh, me too!"

--

Mick, Coraline, Simone and I all sat in silence for several minutes, after we had heard the explanation of how Sarah had been healed by the cure. It was an amazing story, and I wondered why Coraline had bothered to bring Sarah back to Josef. I knew their friendship went back at least a hundred fifty years, give or take, so maybe it truly was a simple matter of trying to make an old friend happy! I had a hard time believing this woman was capable of anything selfless, though, even if she _had _begged Lance to spare Mick's life the last time he saw her! My radar was on high alert—I didn't trust her as far as I could throw her.

Mick sat in stunned silence. He had been warned that his ex was in the States, but he sure hadn't considered that she'd have done all of this and then shown up on his doorstep the moment he got back from his honeymoon! As usual, her timing was eerily flawless. Catch him when he's vulnerable—that had always been her game! And right now, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his friend and the woman he'd lost so many years ago!

Finally Simone broke the silence. "What could be taking them so long!" she fumed, looking at her watch.

"This is going to take some time, Simone," Mick said as he saw her move to get up off of the couch. "Simone! Stay there—leave them alone!" He was motioning with his hand for her to stay.

"I don't have to do what you say, Mick! Josef is MY guy, and I don't want HER trying to get her clutches on him!"

"I don't think any of what you just said is the case, Simone. Josef has loved Sarah for decades, so like I said, just leave them alone." His voice was low and somewhat threatening.

Simone shot upward and took a step, but Mick was very quick to catch her. He took her by the arm and walked her to the door. He opened it, and I could barely hear him speaking, but I could tell he was out of patience with her. I got up and went to where they were standing. Mick was talking, and Simone looked both angry and scared.

"I'm telling you nicely, Simone, that you need to leave now. Josef will be home to work things out with you later, but right now I have to work things out with Coraline, so I'm telling you—you need to just go home now. I'll have Josef call you when he and Sarah are through talking."

I put my hand on Mick's shoulder. "Simone, I think Mick is right—you do need to get home. We all have things to do, and we're all tired and stressed out."

Simone just looked at us, the St. John United Front, asking her to please leave us alone. I was almost surprised when she simply turned on one heel and stomped out. I could hear the click of her heels as she walked down the hall.

Mick and I looked at each other and sighed collective breaths of relief. He nodded toward Coraline, who was watching us very closely. "What do we do with HER?" I asked very softly, mostly mouthing the words. Mick raised his eyebrows and shrugged, then motioned for me to walk ahead of him. I went and sat back down in my chair, and Mick sat down beside me. We were both staring at Coraline.

"So what's with you guys?" She asked in a sweet, sing-song-y voice. "Have you moved in together now?" She looked at our two rolling suitcases. "Have you been somewhere recently?"

I looked at Mick and he was looking at his thumbs, which were pressing hard against each other, a sure sign of tension. I was afraid of how she'd react if he told her the truth, but then another part of me wanted him to tell her. If she was human right now, then maybe I really didn't need to fear for my life! After all, I did have two strong vampires here to protect me!

"Coraline," Mick began, and I could tell he was hesitating, probably afraid of how she'd react. "Beth and I just got back from our honeymoon. We've been in Mexico for a couple of weeks."

I watched her closely, and she looked as though she'd been punched in the stomach and fed persimmons at the same time.

"Say what? You two are married?" She sounded so incredulous! I wondered why she thought this was so preposterous!

Mick looked at me and tried to smile reassuringly. "Yes, Coraline, we're married, and we certainly didn't expect to come home from our honeymoon and have all of this land in our laps!" He gave me a little sideways glance that made me feel suddenly better.

"I'm not sure I believe you, Mick! How could you marry her! She's a human!"

"What _I_ want to know, Coraline, is why are you _really _here, and why did you bring Sarah Whitley with you? Just what are you up to this time? It wasn't long ago that you set me up to get killed in a cemetery when you were posing as Morgan Vincent. You can't blame me for being suspicious of your motives."

His voice demanded an answer. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Oh, Mick! I was trying to do something nice for Josef! I found more of the cure!" She dug in her handbag and brought out three small, tin boxes. "See? I have more in my hotel room! Mick! You can be human again too! I came to tell you that if you want to be human again, I can give that gift to you."

I looked at him quickly to see if he wanted to take her up on it, but he wasn't looking at her.

He sighed, then said in a resigned voice, "I don't want the cure right now, Coraline. I'm fine just the way things are."

"But Mick! You hate being a vampire! I came all this way to—tell you"—she was looking at me warily. "I'm sorry, Beth. I'd like to speak to Mick alone."

"She stays right here," Mick told her, putting his hand on my knee. "Whatever you want to say, you say to both of us."

Coraline rolled her eyes. "Oh, this is so embarrassing. Mick—I wanted to give you the cure so we could—she stopped and looked at me. "Sorry, Beth, but I had this idea, you see—I thought Mick might take me back if I would give him a child, so I came back with the cure and I thought we could just—have a baby. I mean, unless he gets the cure from ME, he'll never be a father, and I'm not going to give it to him if he's with you." She gave me another evil glance, then she looked back at Mick.

Mick must have felt me move. I wanted to say something, but he squeezed my knee, so I kept silent. I saw his jaw clenching.

"Think about what I'm saying, Sweetie!" She was pleading with him now. "You know I love you, Mick! You know I never stopped! Even after you tried to kill me, I still loved you! And I'm back now so we can have a family of our own!"

"Oh, like you were going to do when you kidnapped me?" I interjected into her little spiel.

I felt Mick squeeze my knee firmly, so I kept quiet and let him do the talking.

"It's too late, Coraline—it was too late twenty years ago and it's certainly too late now! Beth and I are married! Get over this thing with me already and get on with your life!"

"But a BABY, Mick! Our very own child! We can do this! I'm offering you something that no other woman can offer you!"

"You are offering me nothing but pain and agony, Coraline! Don't you get this? It's been over between us ever since our wedding night! You're the one who ended our marriage, not me!"

"Well—if it was so OVER, Mick, why did you keep coming back for more? Huh?"

Mick and I flinched at the same time. She was pulling out all of the stops!

"You have to understand this, Coraline--I've finally found someone who loves me just for myself, no conditions, and she doesn't even care that I'm a vampire! It is SO over with you—you know it has been for twenty-three years. Hell, Coraline! I thought you were dead all of those years! If I meant so much to you, wouldn't you have tried to get in touch? I thought I had killed you, and I put you in my past, and that's where you'll stay. I'm asking you now, please, please! Just go back to whatever life you've been living without me and leave us in peace. There's no peace for me when you're around. I'll never, EVER trust you again."

"But—Mick! I just brought Sarah back to life! Can't you see I've changed? All I wanted was to make Josef happy and to make YOU happy! To give you a baby, and I want us to be together—forever—once you told me you'd love me forever! I want forever with you, Mick!"

"Forever is dead for us, Coraline—it died when you decided to turn me. You never told me what you were, never asked me if I wanted it, you just did it! And I have hated you ever since then! In fact, I've hated myself and what you made me ever since that night! I've finally let go of my hatred, thanks to Beth, so release me and let's agree we're better off without each other."

"But you'll never have a child! Mick I can give that to you! Let me do this—for you!"

Mick's hand was squeezing my knee so tightly that I put a hand over his to settle him down. I wasn't going to tell her about our baby, and I knew Mick wouldn't either!

"I don't care about that any more, Coraline. I'm sorry I ever said anything about wanting a family. I said that to you once in anger, as I recall, because you took that possibility away from me without even asking me if it was important to me! I had envisioned being married and having a family someday, and you stole that little dream, but I can live with it now. Beth and I will live with the decision you made for me. Just—please—go away. I don't want to see you anymore, and I certainly don't want you back in my life!"

She got up and picked up her purse. "Fine! I'll leave you for now, but think about this, Mick—think about what you're giving up. Think about life with a human too, while you're at it! You know she can never satisfy you like I can!" The look she gave me was haughty and purely evil. Mick caught it and was on his feet so fast I didn't even see him move.

"Out. Now." He grabbed her arm and whisked her to the door, opened it and pushed her out. When the door was shut, he watched her on the monitor. She stood for a moment, then walked off down the hallway.

"I'm so sorry about that, honey. She's completely crazy. We're going to have to keep a watch on her."

"She scares me, Mick. What if she finds out I'm pregnant? Do you think she'll try to kill me?"

Mick rushed over and knelt in front of my chair. He put his head on my knees and I put my hands on his head. "I won't let anything happen to you, Beth! I promise! If I have to kill her, I will—but no harm will ever come to you or our child because of her. I swear to you, I'll keep you safe from her!"

"I know you will, Mick, but that doesn't mean I'm not scared of her."

"You should be scared of her! She's a menace! She's a wild card! I never know what's in her twisted mind! Oh, honey, I'm so sorry about all of this."

I ran my fingers through his hair, his head still on my lap. He was upset and so was I, but we'd figure out how to deal with her.

"I know you're sorry, Mick, but it's just something we'll deal with together, okay? I trust you." I listened for any sound coming from the office, but didn't hear anything. "I think Josef is the beneficiary of Coraline's goodwill. At least someone is happy! They've been in your office for an awfully long time!"

"Can you imagine catching up on fifty years' worth of conversation? I'm thinking I'll probably have to drive them somewhere—I'd think Simone drove the car back to Josef's. I want you to come with me, though. I don't want to leave you alone until we figure out where Coraline is and what her next move will be."

"I agree, Mick—I'm not going to wait around for her to kill me!"

"Don't say that—don't even think it. We're just going to be cautious for now, okay? I'll figure out how to get rid of her!"

Just then we heard the office door open and we both looked up. Out walked Josef and Sarah, hand-in-hand, smiling and looking a tad disheveled.

"Well," Mick said, "good to see you again! You must have had a—a lot to talk about!"

"Yeah, Buddy—can you drive us to the Regent Beverly? We still have a lot of catching up to do."

"I'll just bet you do!" Mick said. "Let me get my keys. Honey? Do you need a coat?"

"I don't have one here. I'll just use this blanket" I said as I opened up the ottoman.

"No, here," Mick said as he put his leather jacket over my shoulders. "Let's get these two somewhere so they can be alone. Oh—I told Simone you'd call her, Josef."

"Oh, no. I don't think I can take that. . ."

"Please? Just call her, Josef--if you don't, I'm afraid she'll be over here pounding on MY door!"

"All right—I'll call her in the car. Let's go."

In the car, I heard Josef on his cell phone, but it wasn't Simone he was calling. "Max! Josef. I need a favor. Can you go to my place and get Simone out of there? Yeah, I'll call her and tell her you'll be stopping by to escort her out. Thanks. It's good to have a bouncer when you need one."

I felt a chill. I remembered asking Josef to take care of Dean Foster and I hoped he wasn't going to take care of Simone in the same manner. I looked at Mick, and he looked at me with a 'stay out of this' kind of look. I had to hope for the best, I guessed.

Simone felt a chill go up her spine as Josef said the words over the phone. "I need you to pack up and leave, Simone. I think maybe it's better if you do it while I'm not there. I'm going to let you do that tonight, and by morning, when I get back, I'll expect you to be gone. A friend of mine will be over soon to help you. He'll put your things in your car. I'm sorry this didn't work out, Simone, and I do want to get together to talk this out, but tonight we're all too emotional."

"Josef! I can't believe you're saying this! Josef! We were going to have a life together!"

"But you don't really love me, Simone—I never realized that until I saw you tonight, reacting to what I want for my life. Face it—I'm not what you need, and that goes both ways. It's much better to make this break now." He heard her crying on the other end of the phone.

"The doorbell is ringing. I suppose it's your friend. Josef, this is so cruel. You're dumping me on the PHONE! I'll never forgive you for this!"

"I'm sorry, Simone, but really, it's going to be easier for you to just pack up and leave without my being there. I'll call you in a few days." He heard the click as she hung up on him and thanked the Universe that he hadn't turned her!

--

Back at her apartment, Coraline paced back and forth in her room. How could Mick go off and marry that little freshie! How dare she get her hooks into him like that! Mick belonged to HER, Coraline! This wasn't over, not by a long shot! She'd figure something out—she just needed to think.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN – "The Good and the Bad"**

After we dropped Josef and Sarah off at the hotel, Mick and I sat and looked at one another for a moment before he slid across the leather seat towards me and I moved to him, and in a second we were in each other's arms, holding each other close, gaining strength for what was ahead.

"I'm so sorry you had to listen to that. Beth, I really don't know what I should do about her."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, so don't apologize. We'll have to figure out how to deal with this. Right now, we're too shell-shocked and too tired."

"You're right about that. Let's go home." He slid back to his side behind the wheel, put the car in gear, and took off in a hurry. All I wanted was the solace of being in his arms—I didn't want to think about anything but us—just for one more day.

--

Morgan was looking out the window of the hotel room which overlooked the pool area, watching as people gathered up their towels and headed indoors for the night. The pool looked cool and refreshing, but she wasn't in the mood for a swim. Besides, she didn't have a suit, and she doubted the management had much patience with people who swam naked in public. The bathroom door opened and Hank Mattola walked into the room wearing only a towel.

"How did it go?" he asked her, wondering about her obvious agitation, which showed in the way she held her body. She turned to look at him.

"Oh, it was awful. I found out that Mick got married! I can't believe it! He married a HUMAN!"

Hank let the words sink in. "Well, so did you, once, I hear."

She gave him a look that might have killed a weaker man. "I never planned to LIVE with a human! He seems happy with it!"

"Face it--he's moved on, Morgan. Maybe you should too." He walked over to her and bent down sideways, looking up at her, trying to use his boyish good looks to charm her out of her bad mood. It didn't seem to be working. "Baby, you know I'm crazy about you."

"Oh, thanks for caring, Hank," she said walking over and dropping onto the bed. "You're a great guy, and I'm fond of you, but I've always told you that Mick was the man I'd love forever."

--

Josef and Sarah spent the night making up for lost time. After the initial reunion had taken place, they lay in each other's arms, content and happy to be together. Josef kissed her shoulder as he held her close against him, spooning. "It seems like old times for me again, honey."

Sarah sighed. "For me it just feels like today—yesterday we went to the park and you gave me that beautiful necklace, and then we went dancing at the Cabana Club, and afterwards, we went back to your place. I remember us making the decision for you to turn me that night, and I was so excited! I remember feeling so close to you as you bit me—I remember the feel of your fangs in my neck and I loved it—I love you so much--and after that, it's all a blank until I woke up and found out I'd missed fifty years of our lives together!"

"I wish I had never tried to turn you, Sarah. I still don't know what went wrong, but I've felt so empty for so long. . ."

Sarah turned onto her other side so she faced him. She placed her hand gently on his cheek. "I would never want you to be sad over me—it was a decision we both made. You couldn't have known it would go so wrong." She kissed him and he pulled her closer and returned the kiss.

"I love you, Charlie. All that matters is that it's all right now."

"I love you, Sarah." He looked into her eyes, both of them smiling, then he turned serious. "You know, Sarah, I'm different now than when you knew me before, and I hope you can still love me!"

She looked him deeply in the eyes. "You're still you, and there's nothing you can do to convince me you aren't the man I fell in love with. Maybe you have changed, but with me, you're still the same. You're perfect for me, and I'll always want you! Believe me, Charlie. I will."

Josef looked at her, glad she couldn't see as well in the dark as he could because he felt his eyes grow misty. Loving Sarah had been the one truly good thing in his life, and it still felt that way. He cleared his throat.

"Well, for one thing, I'm not even Charles anymore, Sarah."

"I know—Coraline told me--you're Josef now. I guess that's going to be little hard to get used to, since I fell in love with Charles Fitzgerald! We were together for a year, and Charlie, that's just the past year for me, you know."

"I know that, honey, but I need to be sure you can love me now, as Josef, a man of the twenty-first century. Older and more hardened than when you knew me before, but it's true—when I'm with you, I feel like no time has passed."

"I'll always love you—whoever you decide to be!"

"Sarah!" he kissed her deeply, then said, "It would mean a lot to me if you'd start getting used to me as I am now." He moved over on top of her, straddling her naked body, taking her head in between his hands, kissing her softly with aching passion, leaving them both breathless as the kiss ended.

"Say my name, Sarah," he said looking her in the eyes, only inches from her face. I want to hear you say my name."

"Oh, Josef!" she whispered softly against his lips as they crushed hers once, then again. "Josef! Oh, Josef."

"That's what I mean," he said softly as he made her his own once again, and as they made love, all he heard, over and over, was the sweet sound of his name.

--

By the time we got back to Mick's place, it was about two in the morning.

"What do you say we forget what just happened and continue the last day of our honeymoon as two newlyweds should?"

I smiled at him, looking so strong and appealing in the low light of the fire. "Fine with me—I really, really want you!"

That's all I had to say. In a minute our clothes were strewn about the floor, Mick had thrown our bedding onto the couch and we were making love like we'd been separated for a year. Intense and passionate, we quenched the flames of our desires over and over until we were completely spent. We slept, even though the couch wasn't made for two slumbering people, but we barely noticed, cuddling tightly and sharing our dreams. I woke once in the night, feeling him pressed tight against me, and remembered reading somewhere that 'sleeping' with someone was almost as intimate than sex, the idea having something to do with trusting another person enough to be vulnerable in their arms while you weren't conscious. Sleeping like this, with our heads so close together, I felt as though we shared our dreams as well as our bodies, and I moved my free had up so it lay on top of his hand, which in sleep was unconsciously cupping one of my breasts. Sudden, unexpected joy overtook me, and I thanked God and the Universe for giving me a man I could love and trust so completely. We were definitely the lucky ones.

I felt Mick rise and climb over me after only a few hours of sleep. He patted me as I began to rouse and told me to go back to sleep—he was going to hit the freezer for a while. I nodded and fell back asleep with no trouble, inhaling the scent of him on the pillow as I drifted back to my dreams. When I woke again, I was too tired to move right away, but dozed lightly on and off, listening to Mick as he carried our luggage up the stairs, and as he made quiet little noises in the kitchen. I gradually came to with an urgent need to use the bathroom, so I got up, pushed my arms into my shirt, and ran up the stairs. As soon as I reached Mick's bathroom, I knew I was going to be sick. I was throwing up in the john when I felt him enter the room. I spit, flushed and turned on the tap, washing my hands and face, and slurping water right out of the tap. I felt his hand on my back.

"Beth—are you all right?"

"Oh, it's just a little morning sickness. I feel fine now, except I have to pee."

"Be my guest." He handed me a towel for my face, and I dried it as I sat down. When I looked up, his eyes were scrutinizing me.

"I keep forgetting how you love to watch this. I'm really okay, Mick. This is normal."

"Hey, you can't blame me for being worried when you're sick! I mean the last time you got sick you ended up in the hospital! And yeah, I still like to watch you in the bathroom! You look really cute sitting there—but you look a little green. Honey?"

"You are a perv! Oh no!" I barely had time to flush before I had to turn around quickly to vomit again. This time Mick flushed for me, then turned the sink on for me, nice and warm.

"Honey—Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Naaauh," I said, gulping water straight from the faucet. I got up and he handed me the towel again. "I think that should do it. I usually don't get sick, but if I do, it doesn't last long, and then I'm starving."

"Oh! Well, that's good--I was going to make you breakfast. Are you SURE you're okay?"

I gargled and spit into the sink, then ran the tap on hot. "I'm fine, Mick. I'm thinking of morning sickness as just more proof that I really am pregnant! And breakfast sounds great—I'll be down in a minute. Oh--do you know where my toothbrush is?"

He opened up his medicine cabinet, and inside were about six toothbrushes just like mine, still in the packages. Also my favorite toothpaste. "Here—help yourself. I got these thinking you might need them, and here are the disposable cups—go ahead and I'll be downstairs making you something to eat. Hurry up!" He kissed me on the cheek, leaving me to freshen up a bit.

I came back downstairs and pulled on my slacks, going commando this morning!" Breakfast was perfect, as usual, and I lingered over my tea as Mick cleaned up. I just loved watching him move. He was wearing the red Silkies this morning, and his bare chest was calling out to me to touch it; I wondered once more if I'd ever resume a somewhat routine existence—even post-honeymoon, I found that I still wanted to put my hands on him any chance I got!

He was all smiles when he came back and leaned on the counter, looking at me.

"What's up?" I asked, noting the sly little smile on his face.

"I have a surprise for you and I'm really hoping you like it!"

I was pleased and intrigued. "Well—if it's from you, I'm sure I'll love it!"

He looked down and picked at a nonexistent spot on the counter. He looked shy, like a little boy, and my heart swelled just looking at him.

"Let me know when you're ready and I'll show it to you."

I laughed. "You already did—like all night long!"

His head went back as he laughed softly. "That's no surprise anymore, honey." He turned to look straight into my eyes and I was instantly lost in the depths of them.

Not breaking eye contact, I said softly, "You always surprise me—every time I'm with you I'm surprised at how seriously in love with you I am."

His smile flashed sexy. "Okay! Same goes for me! I sure never expected to feel this way about anyone, human or non!" He came around and bent over to hug me from behind. He whispered in my ear. "I have a very special surprise for the new Mrs. St. John. Wanna come with me and see it?"

I could see he was just about bursting, so I took his hand and followed him. He led me up the stairs and down the hall through the gray door leading to his "freezer" room. My mouth dropped open. I couldn't believe he had done this!

"Mick!" I put my hands over my mouth and turned around, giving the room a 360 degree examination. It was a miracle! "How in the world did you DO this?"

"It was pretty easy to arrange—I had a whole week to line it up before we left, and then the workers did it while we were gone. I wanted to show it to you last night, but we had other things to do, so, here is the first part of your "welcome home" present. I hugged him before looking around again. The room had been transformed from the stark "freezer room" to a very upscale "chick friendly" bathroom! He had literally had the place torn apart! Gone was the urinal and the steam room, and in their place was a lovely array of all the things a woman could possibly want in her bath. In one corner of the room was a large whirlpool tub, big enough for two, I noted, on a step-up platform with a waterfall faucet, towels and candles all around, baskets of bath salts and bubbles, and it was built into travertine marble in a beige/tan/off white/black pattern, with the towels and candles had been selected to match. At what I'd call the head of the tub, there was a two-way fireplace, which looked into the adjoining room. I walked past the tub and then looked at Mick.

"I think we can have some fun in this!" His eyebrow raised up over one eye.

"You think?"

"I do!" His eyebrows raised again and so did mine, until we both laughed. Oh yes! Fun times were ahead!

Then I went over to the dressing area which had a makeup counter with soft lights all around a tri-fold framed mirror which sat above a countertop of travertine. Not only did it have one of those cool clear-bowl sinks with the high black faucet over it, but the counter lay atop about twenty pull-out drawers and a couple of cupboard doors. A little chair fit perfectly into the space where I could sit and apply my makeup, blow my hair dry, do my nails and do all of those little "human" things Mick loved to watch me perform. I didn't miss the small upholstered chair which sat at a 45-degree angle to my makeup chair! Wonder who'd sit in that?

"This is just wonderful!" I beamed and Mick looked pleased.

"Come tell me if you like this, then." He walked over to a set of double doors and pulled them open, which automatically turned on the overhead lighting, which was recessed and spotlighted, depending where you looked. The space was as big as my bedroom in my apartment, but this was my closet! Every inch of space was organized professionally, with the usual poles for hangers, but also glass-front lingerie drawers, sweater drawers, shoe racks that would hold all of my shoes in one little corner of the rack! On the shelves above were dividers for stacking things, hooks galore and a full-length mirror! The wood was pickled to a luscious vanilla color, which went with the rest of the room, and on the floor lay a deep tan plush carpet. It was so elegant! I finally took my hands off of my mouth and looked at Mick, who was wheeling in my rolling bag.

"A place to start. I have movers ready to pack up your place up and move you over here."

"This is amazing, Mick! I'm overwhelmed!"

He smiled and nodded. "I thought it turned out good. I thought you might like having your own closet without all of my stuff in it."

I laughed. "I think this is big enough for both of us!"

"That may be, Mrs. St. John, but it is all yours, and you don't have to share it with anyone!"

I was speechless for a moment. Then I wondered—if Mick was having my stuff moved here, I'd need a bed! Mick was reading my thoughts.

"I'll keep taking you on the tour, here, if you don't mind. You can always come back again." He led me out of the closet and over to another spot. I never realized how large this space was! "Here is the place where Princess can have her privacy!" He held out an arm for me to enter a space behind a pocket door, which he slid back to reveal another surprise.

I looked behind the glass block wall to find my own beautiful toilet and bidet in a private little room! Very sleek, shiny and elegant in a vanilla color, which looked smashing on the travertine, which made up the floors and counters of the entire room. Plush vanilla-colored rugs were planted in strategic places. It was so lovely. I smiled at Mick, who pointed toward a space next to the wall of the bidet room. I entered the spot he was indicating and squealed with glee. The shower had two large rain heads and several jets that I imagined squirted water at you in a way that would wake you up and have you singing the Halleluiah Chorus! The two heads in the one shower were no surprise, but I loved that it was made very simply; a walk-in that was large and deep enough to require no door or curtain. All of the fixtures were beautiful, and I loved the colors—so neutral, yet so contemporary!

"Mick! I just LOVE this! It's just fantastic!"

He smiled. "Well, I was hoping I could come in here once in a while, so I tried to make it yours, but really, kind of ours."

"It's absolutely perfect! I can't wait to have a water fight with you—I notice we each have our own sprayer!"

He smiled sideways. "I thought that might be fun!"

"The room seems so much bigger! How did you get it to seem so roomy?"

"I just annexed some storage space I wasn't using and it did make the space seem a lot bigger." He looked at me, and my eyes must have been wide with delight.

"So--I think you like it? So far so good?"

"Like! I think it's the coolest bathroom I've ever seen! But—where is your freezer?"

"Oh—we haven't gotten there yet. Come on with me—I want to show you the rest!"

We passed by the tub and walked through an archway, which led to an enormous bedroom! The first thing to catch my eye was the black shiny-wood high poster bed with rails all around the top posts which had been wrapped with puffy white tulle and little twinkly lights and ivy. It reminded me of the ceiling of the balcony at Steve Wynn's where we had had our wedding! And the BED! To say it was enormous would be a serious understatement. We could have six other couples sleep over with us, and nobody would have to touch. I'd never seen anything like it! It was covered in a white/black/tan/vanilla down comforter with tiny touches of robin's egg blue here and there in the soft fabric. There were European shams in white and tan, vanilla ruffled pillows and a little robin's egg blue neck pillow sitting in the middle of the pile of soft stuff.

"Oh, Mick! I can't believe this!" I squatted down to run my hands through the deepest, plushest pile carpet I'd ever walked on. It was in the darker tan color, which was just a couple of shades darker than the walls, which had white trim around the floor and white crown molding up above twelve feet or so. A giant ceiling fan hung over the bed, and the room held furniture that was a mix of the shiny black wood and tan and vanilla upholstery. There was a vanilla- colored chaise in front of the fireplace with a two small upholstered black chairs with pillows in the special shade of blue that would match my ring box from Tiffany's, I was sure. Mick! Who knew how sentimental he was! There was also a table and some lamps to make a nice little area for reading or relaxing by the fire. I looked over at Mick, who was standing with his hands folded as in prayer over his mouth. I felt the pesky tears begin to fill my eyes, and soon they spilled over onto my cheeks. I looked at him and shook my head. He held his arms open and I went to them where they enfolded me and let me know once again exactly where home was.

"Okay, I'm thinking the tears men you really like it?" he whispered with emotion into my hair. I moved back from him again and took it all in. I simply couldn't believe he had done all this while we were away. It was a perfect blend of color and neutrality—exactly what I would have chosen if I'd ordered it myself.

"I just love it, Mick! Our bedroom! It's so beautiful!" Just then I caught a glimpse of the wall behind me—there was the freezer against the wall, and above it hung a huge, framed picture.

"Oh Mick! I love the picture! Omigosh! It's our wedding!"

"It turned out really nice, didn't it?"

"I—oh gosh!" it was the first picture from our wedding that I had seen, and it was beautifully done! A huge black and white picture of Mick and me standing, holding hands in front of the arbor, smiling, ready to take our vows. It was triple matted in the colors of the room, and framed in black shiny wood.

I walked right up to it, admiring it. My handsome prince taking me for his bride. What a wonderful day that had been, and now I could look at it every day! And it was right above where Mick would sleep!

"Can you see this from the freezer?"

"Absolutely. It's the first thing I'll see every day when I wake up. One of the happiest days of my entire life."

"Aw, Sweetie!" I said as I hugged him. "You're so wonderful!"

"I hope you like that one—actually Josef picked this one out for the wall!" He laughed. The proofs came to him while we were gone, and he had that album made," he pointed to the long dresser on the adjoining wall. We can always order more pictures later after we look through the proofs together and pick them out, but this one is just for a start.

I picked it up and leafed through the eight-by-ten colored pictures of us on our wedding day and started crying all over again. Pregnancy! It was making me into a weeping wuss!

Mick stood right behind me as I looked carefully at the pictures. He reached over and plucked a tissue off of the top of the dresser and handed it to me. "They're awfully good, aren't they? Bob the photographer, is a real pro! I guess he wants to use some of our photos in his display for other brides and grooms—he must think we look pretty good to use us to sell others on his services!"

"We do look good, Mick! Look at us! Your eyes—mine—we were so excited and happy! I still am!" I looked up at him as I closed the cover.

"It was the beginning of my life, Beth, and ever since then, it only keeps getting better." He kissed me and held me, and I hugged him tightly.

"I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, Mick St. John, but I'm going to be forever grateful for whatever it was."

He kissed the top of my head. "Me too."

--

Hank strolled over to Morgan, where she sat on the bed, and he sat down beside her. They had spent most of the night out drinking in one of the lounges downstairs in the hotel. Now morning was approaching, and he wanted to get some things straight with her.

"You've always been honest with me about your feelings for your ex, Morgan, and I appreciate that. I was just hoping that if you found out he's moved on, that maybe we could too—that is, maybe we could move on—together."

Hank didn't say any more, but inwardly was rejoicing. Ever since Morgan had turned him when he had been so sick, near death, lying in the hospital, and she had come to him, a beautiful dark angel offering him un-life instead of death, he had loved her. Sure, it was life in a different way, but it had been an escape from death—forever! And since that day, she had been much more than just a sire to him. He was absolutely crazy about her—crazy enough to try to kill her ex-husband back in that cemetery! The jerk had gotten away, but he didn't like the way Morgan was so obsessed with the guy! Maybe he'd have to take him out yet!

He thought about meeting her and all that had transpired between their first meeting in the hospital and her disappearance. Man! Every single thing she'd asked him to do he'd done! And gladly! He'd even killed his old girlfriend to stage that photo she took of the fire in that old hotel! If she wanted a man who was loyal, it was him, not that Mick character.

Morgan looked at Hank, taking in the beauty of his upper body, the smoothness of his skin, the definition of muscles, and remembering the beauty of him beneath the towel. He was hoping she'd take him up on his offer—he wanted them to be together—and she did love him in a way! How could she not! He never said 'no' to her!

"I was afraid you'd feel that way, Hank, and you'd want more from me than I can give you. I really don't want to hurt you—you've been so great all of these months, waiting to hear from me, and here you are again, just being so supportive of me!"

"I waited a long time for you, Morgan," Hank said, moving closer to her. "I can't wait forever, though." His eyes were raking over her hungrily at first, then glazed over as she heard a low growl come from his throat. He snarled and showed his fangs.

She rose up off of the bed and swung her arm at him, knocking him off of the bed so hard that he flew across the room and hit the wall with a crash. He was back up in a second, lunging for her, but she kicked him and sent him flying into the opposite wall.

Hank growled and showed his fangs. "So you want foreplay, huh? Fine with me!" He jumped quickly and grabbed her, pulling her down onto the floor with a crash. They struggled, biting, clawing, snarling, drawing blood, smashing into the furniture as they rolled around on the floor. She was clawing his face until it was raw and bloody, as he ripped at her clothes until they were in shreds, and at last, when their room was in ruins, and Morgan was overpowered, Hank mounted her and took her violently, asking no questions, giving her no choice, but taking her in the midst of his mad, frenzied, angry passion. He slammed into her repeatedly as she still fought and kicked to try to gain control, but it was no use; he would have her and would use her—it was the vampire way—the one on top was the winner, and tonight it was he who had won! She'd had plenty of times when she was on top, winner of the foreplay!

Hank felt powerful, the alpha wolf; he had the upper hand this time, and he was taking advantage of it, growling and snarling as he made her take him in deeper and deeper, as he joined himself with her in this unholy union, enjoying the sound of their bodies slapping and banging together. He was merciless and she was at his mercy, and when at last he felt her begin to shudder and quake beneath him, he knew he had done well by her and he, too, gave in to the completion of this act, stepping over the crevasse, the point of no return, falling into the bliss of the hell they made together, his fangs sinking into the tender flesh above her breast. When she wouldn't make any noise, he wouldn't stop battering her with his hard-as-steel, relentless weapon.

"Scream for me, bitch!" he shouted as she bit her lower lip to keep from making any noise. She didn't want to give him that satisfaction. She couldn't help that her body responded to him, but she didn't want to give him any more than her body's betrayal.

"I said scream!" he yelled loudly, waiting for her response. When none came, he grabbed her breasts, squeezing them roughly and with force, while he moved so strongly within her, beating so inexorably that he was literally pushing her across the carpet.

Morgan chose to ignore the burns the carpet were making on her back and bottom as Hank battered her, but instead focused on the pleasure of the violence. When he had pushed her hard and long enough that her head bumped the wall, she opened her eyes, seeing that there was nowhere else to go. Now as he dominated her, she felt her head begin to bang painfully against the wall, but still he didn't let up. She at last cried out as the spasms again took her and carried her through wave after wave of utter release as Hank again smashed into her, banging her head into the wall over and over again, pummeling her down below where they were joined, and as she screamed and hissed at him, wanting badly to sink her fangs into him, she felt him once again take his pleasure in her, growling and shuddering, letting go within her.

When it was over, they both lay panting on the floor, spent, with the first hunger of their inner beasts satisfied. Morgan moved first, sliding down his body to his thighs, where she sank her fangs into his femoral artery. She watched as he bucked like a landed fish and came again, growling and groaning, and while he lay helpless in the spasms of his own release, she mounted him and had her way with him for what might have been hours, taking him as she would, being the winner of the new contest. By dusk, when at last they had found temporary satiety, they assessed the damage to the room and decided to check out and go to her apartment. No use paying for cheap hotel furniture when she had a perfectly good place in town.

As they packed to leave, Hank stepped into his jeans. "We're meant to be together, Morgan—if today didn't show you that, I don't know what will."

"Maybe you're right," she said, finding lipstick in her bag. "The only thing is—if I can't have Mick, I don't want HER to have Mick."

"So—what are you saying? You want me to take care of him for you?"

"I think--you'll have to promise to kill him for me if you want to be with me. I can't live knowing he's with that little freshie!"

"Want me to kill her too?"

"No—I think she'd suffer more if we just killed him, and he's marked for extermination anyway, according to Lance, so there'd be no problem with his disappearance."

"Consider it done."

--

Mick was like a little kid showing me his new toys. He pushed a button on the cabinet that sat at the foot of the bed, and a flat-screen TV rose up from inside of it. I was impressed.

"The remote is on the bed post. See the buttons? You can pull up the television, close the drapes, whatever. It's all very handy. The buttons down below here—he went over and pushed one, and on came the sound system. Beautiful strains of Rachmaninoff set the stage for a romantic time.

"Actually, I put everything in your iPod in here, so you can play with this all you want and we can make love to your playlists." He saw my eyebrows rise, saw my eyes shine as I looked at him in surprise, and he laughed. "Yeah! It's pretty cool, isn't it?" All I could do was nod.

He walked over to an alcove behind some large plants. "Come tell me if you like this!" He touched a wall switch and light came on to show off a beautiful, large desk with all of the things you'd ever need in a home office, including a brand new computer system. I gasped.

"I figured you can use your laptop anywhere, but sometimes you just want a nice place to sit and work. Now you can do that right in your own bedroom, but it's kind of hidden, so hopefully you'll come in here more often to have fun and to sleep than to work!" He smiled sideways at me. It KILLED me when he did that.

I jumped up into his arms and wrapped my legs around him. I kissed his face and his mouth. "Oh! Have I told you how MUCH I love you?"

"MMMMMmmmm—I think so," he managed to say between the big, smacking kisses I was covering him with. He walked us over to the bed, lips on lips, and carefully dumped me onto it. I sank into the soft depths and groaned with pleasure.

"Oh, this is so soft! It's going to be like sleeping in a cloud!"

"That's the idea—our lovemaking here should be heavenly." He flopped down beside me, his gaze piercing mine.

"I can't wait."

"Neither can I. Here, let's give it a try!" Instead of ripping my clothes off, he grabbed my hand and pulled me up onto my knees. "I plan to spend a lot of time with you here, so let's be sure it's good for what we have in mind." Now his hand pulled me up to standing and he held it as he started bouncing on it with his feet. I thought it was good we were barefoot!

"Yeah, seems to have a nice bounce factor, I like that!" Soon we were jumping up and down, then falling onto the mattress and rolling around like two little kids, hugging each other. I rolled back and forth and bounced my butt against it, loving the feel of the mattress, which was densely pillow-topped, but firm underneath. Mick was lying next to me, hands under his head, watching me act like a crazy, giggling little girl, as I rolled onto my stomach and laughed, rubbing my face on the soft fabric of the cover.

"So? What's the verdict? Think we can have some good sex on this bed?"

I climbed on top of him and kissed him soundly. "No."

His eyes flew open. "What?"

"I said no—we're not going to have good sex on this bed! We're gonna have GREAT sex on this bed!" He laughed and his arms went all the way around me, causing me to press closely into every contour of his body, allowing me to feel every lovely inch of him. "Hmmm. Somebody is thinking of sex!" I said, kissing his face all over with light little smacks. He raised his legs up and wrapped them around me so tightly that I felt like a spider caught in his web. Oh, how lovely it felt!

"Why wait for great sex! I'd like to show you the sheets here—" He reached over and pulled down the comforter and in a few seconds we were naked, giving the new bed a workout! It passed the test!

--

Talbot was out for his morning run, and as usual for the past two weeks, his thoughts were on Beth Turner. Or would she be Beth St. John tomorrow when she came back to work? This was still so difficult for him to wrap his mind around, but he looked forward to seeing her tomorrow. Why, he wondered? He didn't know—maybe just to see that she was safe. Had St. John been able to keep her safe? He wanted to punch the guy without even knowing the answer to that question!

As his feet slapped the running path, he thought about that invitation he'd received to the secret meeting. He hadn't gone because it felt somehow too risky. Still, he had nagging doubts about choosing not to go, since his priority was keeping Beth safe. He had a feeling something bad was going to happen to St. John, and he certainly wanted to be sure it didn't also happen to her. He could forgive her for falling for the guy, a good-looking, charming sort with a mystery about him that women seemed to find attractive, if he knew anything at all about women! Not much, he had to admit! But if and when Beth's world crashed down on her, he'd be the man who would be there for her!

He turned as he heard steps behind him, gaining on him. He sped up—he hated it when people passed him. The runner was going really fast, though, sprinting, which made Ben speed to a sprint. Now it was a race, but it was a race Ben couldn't win. Soon a man in a black sweat suit, black baseball cap and sunglasses came up beside him, passed him, and turned, running backwards so he could look into Ben's face. Ben felt vulnerable, all of a sudden. This guy looked exactly like the man Beth had described as the man who had attacked her in the parking lot. Fear and adrenaline shot through him, and he stopped running, standing his ground, panting. The man in black wasn't even breathing hard.

''What do you want?" Ben said as authoritatively as he could, while trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, man, don't be upset! I just wanted to know why you didn't come to the meeting!"

"I'm not going to a clandestine meeting in a back lot of an abandoned studio in Century City for no good reason. Think again. I'm not suicidal!"

He kept trying to get his breath back as the man spoke.

"I get it, man. It sounds a little scary, so pick someone you trust. Bring a gun. We don't care—just come to the next meeting. We need you there, and you need to know what's going on around you. It's an informational meeting, that's all."

"So tell me what it's all about now."

"No can do, man. This is serious business, conducted by my bosses. I'm only the messenger."

"Even messengers know something."

"True, but I'm not at liberty to say. We'll let you know when the next meeting will be held, and I'd recommend you come. Actually, we need your help with a very, ah, unpleasant element in your jurisdiction. Consider this a tip. All we ask is that you show up. We won't pat you down, so bring whatever weapons you like, just be there. And if you bring someone with you, be sure they'll keep their mouth shut. This is all very much on the QT."

That's all he said. Ben watched as he turned and ran on ahead, but in seconds he was out of sight.

--


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN – Vampires and Doctors and D.A.s, Oh My!**

Mick rose soundlessly from his freezer and went to his own shower so he wouldn't wake Beth. Whatever his life had been before, he had to admit, it was nothing compared to now—even such a small change as sleeping in the same room with her—it made him rise with a new energy; a new lust for life. At last he had that indefinable thing he had always wanted, and she was the one who was responsible for giving this gift. She was not only his wife, but his best friend, his lover and soulmate--'his' Beth!

He reached to turn on the warm water and he let it run over his head for a while; he was deep in thought. This had all happened quickly, but then again, not really, as he contemplated all of the years in between finding Beth and falling in love with her. How ironic that Coraline, of all people, completely unaware of what she was doing, had chosen his perfect mate! He smiled, thinking of how crazy life was, but mostly he simply thanked God and the Universe for this extraordinary chain of events that had at last brought him peace and a deep sense of wonder and joy.

He reached for the shampoo and tried to hurry this morning ritual, eager to get back to the bedroom. He usually tried to get a few hours of freezer time in while she slept, and more while she worked—daytime was his best sleep time. They had had to navigate this daytime/nighttime schedule conflict, and were managing it fairly well. His favorite part of the day was now, because after he was warmed up from the shower, he would slide into their bed behind her as she slept, cuddling and holding her as she woke in his arms. Usually they made love and talked about the day ahead, unless she had morning sickness. He hoped that would pass soon!

Being with Beth, he thought, especially in the quiet of the new day, was like nothing he had ever felt before. Day by day, bit by bit, he was reassembling the pieces of himself that had long ago been torn from him, making him feel more and more whole as time passed. She was so much a part of him now, his other half, and she grounded him as she healed him.

_Happy! _It was a feeling lost so long ago that he could barely remember how it felt, but he thought this must be it. What Beth gave to him was absolutely priceless—she was giving him back his humanity, and he reveled in that feeling! To feel like a man again! A man who was looking forward to a normal life with a wife and a child. After fifty-some years of feeling like a monster, normal was exhilarating!

Smiling, he shut off the water. He stepped out and toweled off, so eager to get done that he didn't bother drying his hair. Leaving it damp, he walked over to his mini-fridge, now installed in his bathroom for convenience, and pulled out a bag of A-positive, which he drank in just a few large gulps. He didn't want to be with Beth until he had fed. He finished and threw the container in the trash, then headed back to their bedroom, where he slipped silently under the covers behind her as she slept soundly in the pillowed softness of the bed. He put his arm over her and kissed her neck, and just like always, she nestled into him and purred. Ah! How he loved the feel of her! He slid his arm up under her tee shirt and cupped one of her breasts, beautifully full and slightly heavier than even a few weeks ago, and his mind filled with the lovely image of their little one suckling at her breast, a picture that made him feel both aroused and blissfully content.

He gazed at her in wonder, feeling that each new day brought even more joy, and his heart filled once again with a love so profound that it brought swift tears to his eyes. He bent and kissed her ear softly, tenderly, as he felt her move against him and sigh with contentment. He marveled at how she fit so perfectly with him, no matter what position they took, as she molded her body to him in rapture or in companionship. Her mind fit with his as well, and lately it was rare that they weren't on the same page. Her scent was divine, and he drank it in, enjoying it in small sniffs so it wouldn't overwhelm him. His hand slid down to her belly and he thought of his baby inside of her, and the miracle of it made him want to laugh and jump and weep with joy all at the same time. He felt her place her hand over his.

"Our baby, Mick," she murmured in half-sleep.

"Our baby, half you and half me. I love you so," he whispered against her ear. He kissed her hair, rich with her scent, made even more delectable by sleep. He remained still, allowing her the few last moments of quiet slumber before the new day began, and he realized he didn't want to let her go. He would, if possible, freeze this tiny frame of time forever and live right here, right now, forever, and it would be enough--more than enough—certainly more than he had ever thought possible! Her love filled him up to overflowing, and the wonder of that feeling alone was overwhelming to him! He had thought once that he lived for her, but he hadn't known squat. Living for her now was beyond anything he could comprehend, and life without her was incomprehensible!

He would take care of her and their child, putting their safety above all else—he cared not one whit what the cost would be, for any price he ever paid for their lives would never be too much! His concern over the threat of anything harming her was something that gnawed at the peace he sought so fiercely.

"Mmmmmm. Oh, Mick—let's stay in bed all day," she mumbled as she turned around and pressed herself against his chest, wrapping a leg over him.

"My thoughts exactly." He kissed her forehead and held her as she drifted back into the world of somewhere between reality and sleep. She'd wake soon enough, and then they would have to talk, since he felt the urgent need to caution her about her safety, but for now, this was too sweet a moment to shatter.

--

By the time I came downstairs for breakfast, Mick had a toasted bagel slathered with strawberry cream cheese on a plate, a small glass of orange juice and hot tea waiting for me. He knew I was a little shaky these mornings—after being sick, I'd feel a little light-headed, but the shower usually revived me enough to function.

"Beth?" he said as he took up his usual spot of leaning on the counter, looking at me while I ate.

"Yes Mick?" I smiled as I chewed.

"You're over four weeks pregnant now—don't you have to see a doctor soon?"

I took a sip of juice and nodded, smiling secretly, pleased that he took such an interest in the health of his 'family.'

"Yes, I do. In fact, I am going to make an appointment with my family doctor to have my first checkup. I think if I go in around six weeks, that will be fine. I'm really feeling good!" I looked at him and noticed the intensity of his stare.

"Oh, yeah! So you say! You're sick every morning now!" He stood up and crossed his arms over his bare chest. He looked so adorable when he was overly concerned.

"And it's perfectly normal, 'Daddy!' Just don't get too stressed out here!"

He relaxed visibly. "I know—it's just so exciting. Can I go with you?" His eyes were pleading and hard to resist.

"You may drive me there and wait in the waiting room," I said in a way that let him know my limits.

"Really? I thought fathers came along on the appointments!"

He was seriously thinking I'd invite him along on a pelvic exam?

"I'm sure she'll talk to you after she's examined me—that's fine. And when I get my first ultrasound, it would be fun to have you there, but most of the prenatal stuff is pretty ordinary, I hear."

"Oh." He looked disappointed. "Well, maybe so, but not to me."

I munched and threw out something I knew would be an issue, and hoped he wouldn't be inordinately worried about it: "I'll have to tell her about our Rh incompatibility and see what she says."

"What's wrong with our compatibility?" His forehead wrinkled, then a look of understanding dawned in his eyes. "OH! My blood type when I got you pregnant was A-positive, and you're AO-negative! That's a problem?" He looked a little troubled.

"It won't be a problem for us, Mick." Thanks to a discovery many years ago, they have a means to keep anything bad from happening to the baby."

Dusting off his distant memory, he was suddenly excited. "I think I remember that! I remember that the Rh thing used to kill babies, or be really harmful, and then somebody used monkeys and invented. . ."

"RhoGam it's called now, and we will be fine, but as long as we know about it, we can mention it."

"Good idea." I was glad he wasn't obsessing over this little thing. "So when can we find out if it's a boy or a girl?" He was definitely over the hump.

"Do you WANT to know before it's born? Some people wait until the birth!"

"Why? Seems it would be easier to know ahead of time!"

"See how you feel when the time comes. It's way too early to tell right now."

He reached over and took my hand. "I just want it to be here, and I want it to be healthy, and most of all, I pray for you to be safe." He kissed my palm, and I touched his chin.

"I know, honey, but really—don't fret! Women have babies every day! We'll all be great because we are St. Johns! I hear they have very strong genes!"

He looked at me with an amused expression. "I hope that's enough."

"It will be! Trust ME for once, worrier!" I threw my napkin at him, and he deftly caught it midair.

"You're right, and speaking of worrying? I'm going to drive you to work. I have to get moving on finding out about this "list," and I also have to figure out what Coraline is up to! You stay with people all of the time, do you hear me? Never venture out on your own until I know it's safe!"

I could see that he worried, and I didn't want to add any more angst. "Fine—drive me. You'll soon get sick of being my chauffeur, but if you insist!"

"I do! And tell Talbot to keep his eye on you too." I looked at him as if he'd sprouted a dunce cap.

"I'm not going to involve Ben in our problems! Mick! He's my BOSS! He already thinks I'm too much trouble!"

Mick sighed. "Fine. I just thought he might help us out here until we get things a little more settled!"

"Huh," I grumbled, finishing my tea.

'Well,' Mick was thinking, 'if you don't want to tell him, I will!'

"You look like you're thinking something I won't like. What is your plan, Mick?"

He gave me an exasperated look. "I'm thinking that if you don't want to tell Talbot about this dangerous situation, then I'll have to. I'll tell him my ex-wife is back and she might want to hurt you." He saw her squint her eyes at him. "Hey! I just want him on notice, okay? It's not that I like him, but I do think he'd take care of you at all costs. In fact, I think he'd like a little more than a working relationship with you, but I can live with that—as long as it keeps him on his toes where you're concerned!"

I was taken aback. "You still think. . ."

"I do, and I'm not going to be jealous right now because I'm too afraid of something happening to you when you're not paying attention! Beth—just promise to be extra careful right now. Will you?" His eyes were begging, and I recognized the look as true distress. "I know it's a pain in the ass, but I think it's necessary! And if Ben wants to leer as you walk out of the room, well, I'll just live with that as long as you and the baby are safe, and as long as you keep coming home to ME."

"Mick! Don't even think that! You—you are assuming that Ben is looking at my butt? I think your imagination is running wild, and just because you're so insecure about him, I'll tell him about Coraline myself!"

"Promise?"

"Yes! I promise! And you are SO wrong about Ben!"

He simply shrugged. "Maybe—maybe not. Ready to go?"

And off we went, after he had thrown a shirt on over his beautiful chest, that is.

--

Over the next few weeks, everything seemed to go fairly smoothly. Josef broke things off cleanly with Simone, and thankfully she wasn't going to try to get even with him. He said she was very civil about the whole thing and apologized for being so emotional that awful night. I decided we should meet for lunch soon; I wanted to find out what was going on in her life. Sarah and Josef couldn't stop smiling whenever we saw them together, and he was enjoying showing her the world and all of the new inventions that had come along while she was sleeping. She was his eager student, and he appeared to love playing the role of teacher.

Mick could find no trace of Coraline, which was very odd, not to mention troubling, but he kept up his search. Also, Josef who was also on the "list," and therefore slightly paranoid, was working daily with Mick as they tried to figure out just what was going on. Josef thought it might be something to do with the Legion, which was in charge of the Vampire Nation in the United States; they were very underground, and were also very good at ridding the vampire population of unwanted entities. The fact that Mick and Josef were both on this "list" was bothersome to all of us.

Mick drove me everywhere and picked me up, which was nicer than I had imagined it would be. It meant that we got to spend more time together, and that was always fun. He drove me to my doctor and I checked out fine. She said she'd need a sample of Mick's blood next time I came in, so I was to bring him along again. She also wanted to schedule me for follow up visits, but Mick had another idea, which he brought up on the ride home.

"Have you heard of a Dr. Luke Mineo?"

"The name sounds familiar—isn't he the one who other OB's send their high-risk patients to?"

"High-risk is his forte, but he does have lots of patients who aren't high-risk." He looked at me as if he wanted to say more, but stopped himself.

"So, what about him? Do you know him?"

"I want you to have the best, honey, and I wondered if you'd consider going to him. He's an excellent doctor, and I think he might make this whole pregnancy thing a lot easier for us. Even this blood sample is a problem for me--how am I supposed to come up with regular blood for them to test?"

"Hmmmm. Maybe you could borrow some?" He shook his head. Well, I guess it's a small problem. But what would be the difference with this big famous doctor—what's his name?"

"Mineo. And the difference is--he'd take my word for my blood type."

My skin prickled and I felt a deep sense of unease. "And he'd take your word—why?"

Mick looked at me, then back at the road. "He's a vampire."

I felt my eyes grow wide. "He's a vampire? A doctor and a vampire? And you want me to go to him? Are you sure this is safe?"

Mick laughed. "So much safer than being in the care of a human doctor, Beth! I'd be so relieved not to have to hide what I am. I'm just asking you to consider it."

I thought for a moment. "Well, let's do this: set up a meeting and we can both go interview him. I'll make up my mind after I talk to him."

"Done, and thanks, Beth." I smiled weakly. I wasn't sure how I felt about a vampire doctor, but then, I did have a vampire husband, so what was I afraid of?

Dr. Luke Mineo had a very plush office in a professional building next to Cedars Sinai Hospital. We entered and were greeted by a lovely low-lit atmosphere of luxurious carpeting and furniture, a giant fish tank which took up a large space in the middle of the waiting room, and an attractive, young receptionist who handed me a clipboard and asked me to fill out my health history. Mick gave her the insurance information while I worked on my papers. He came back with a cup of hot tea for me, courtesy of the mini bar selection of healthy snacks and beverages which patients were encouraged to use. I smiled and thanked him, and he sat down next to me on a soft, baby blue microfiber sofa.

"I think I'm just about done here, but they want to know a little about your health history too."

"My parents died when they were very old, and my brother did too. He had one child, but she died very young—I think she had a head injury from falling off of her bike. As far as I know, we have no health issues in our lineage—no cancer, heart disease, strokes. They were all in their nineties when they died, so I'm assuming it was from old age issues."

"Well, that's reassuring! And I'll never know, since my parents died in a car crash when I was nine, and I had no siblings. My Aunt Ginny, who raised me, is still alive, but has no children."

"I guess we assume we're healthy then!" He smiled and I smiled back. "We have a lucky baby!"

"Very lucky! I'll give this back to Peggy." He raised an eyebrow. "She's the receptionist. Be right back."

Mick was still smiling as he watched Beth walk over to the reception desk and turn in her papers. She was amazingly beautiful, not showing any outward signs of the pregnancy other than being slightly fuller in the breasts, which caused a pull in his groin as he watched her come back to where he was sitting. Her cotton top wasn't extremely low-cut, yet it was just low enough that it showed off a little of her cleavage and was pulled tightly over her recently increased fullness. When she smiled back, he knew he'd been caught lusting.

"My God, Beth—you look good enough to eat!" he said, eyes slightly glazed.

"Hey, buddy, let's not start this in a doctor's office! Besides, it wasn't that long ago. . ."

"MR. AND MRS. ST. JOHN?" The nurse standing in the doorway watched the young couple rise and walk toward her, he with his arm behind her, she with a huge smile on her face, and something in their eyes made her wish she had whatever it was that they had.

--

Dr. Mineo was a fortyish gentleman with a jovial demeanor and an obvious love for his work. He had an entire wall of snapshots of moms, dads and babies, with thank-you notes and even some notes written in childish scrawl. It made for a comforting backdrop to the usual doctor setting. He shook hands with both of us and offered us chairs, then took up his own on the other side of the large, neatly sparse desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. St. John! Nice to meet you! I see you have simply scheduled a meeting here—I'm assuming you're interviewing doctors to handle your pregnancy?" He looked at me.

"Uh, yes, Doctor, and just call me Beth. This is my husband, Mick, and he's the one who really wanted me to see you."

He looked at Mick through stylish rimless glasses, which I figured were for the purpose of making him look smart, since I knew vampires didn't need glasses. "And I may assume this is because you would feel more comfortable having a fellow vampire take care of this pregnancy?"

Mick nodded. "You're right about that, Doctor. I felt that there would be so much less explaining to do, and much less risk of exposure for me if we let you handle this little project of ours."

The doctor scrutinized him for a moment, then looked at me, then up in the air. I looked up too, but there was nothing to see. Hmmm.

"And may I ask—who is the father of this little 'project,' as you call it?"

Mick spoke right up. "Oh—that would be me, Doctor." I saw him put his hand to his mouth in a gesture I recognized as being amused and uncomfortable at the same time.

The doctor turned toward us. "I think you realize that I don't quite buy your story, since vampires do not reproduce."

I looked at Mick, and he looked at me. I nodded to him, so Mick was the one to tell the entire story of the cure and the timing of it all, and the miracle of this pregnancy. The doctor was intrigued and astonished.

"I have heard of this cure, but I thought it had been out of existence for a hundred years or so—now you tell me it has resurfaced?"

Mick told him about his ex-wife and her connections in France. I could see the doctor was absolutely fascinated! He smiled at us and shook his head.

"Well, I'd say we do have a genuine miracle baby here! When did you say the child was conceived?"

"May 16th." We both answered in unison and laughed.

The doctor was looking at a little calculator, punching in numbers. "I guess there's no doubt about that date!" He chuckled. "So, the little one will be born around February 6 of 2009. You are in your sixth week of pregnancy now—how is it going so far?

"Oh, I feel great, outside of a little morning sickness. It usually happens first thing and then it's all over and I'm hungry."

"Excellent. Some have it all day, you know!"

"I know! I'm so happy that's not me! I like to eat!"

He chuckled. "I have your records from your family doctor and everything looks very normal. I see we have an Rh factor incompatibility—I usually test for that around the ninth week. If we find any problem, we can easily handle it then, and I most likely will give you a shot just to be doubly sure we don't have a problem down the road. As for ultrasounds, I know a lot of doctors do them around six weeks, but all we see is a yolk sac, and as long as your hormone levels are normal, I tend to put off the ultrasound until we can really see something—say in the sixteenth-to-the-twentieth week—unless we have something abnormal crop up. Does that sound okay with you?

I looked at Mick and we both nodded at the doctor. "Sounds good to me," I said. I was liking him more and more as time went on.

"Well, should you choose me for your care, please make an appointment with my receptionist for two-to-three weeks from now, and I will do my own initial workup at that time. I see no reason to repeat what your own doctor has just done."

Mick and I were looking at each other again, communicating nonverbally, as we had gotten good at doing lately.

"I believe I speak for my husband, Dr. Mineo, in saying we'd love to have you handle this pregnancy for us. I'll make my appointment as we leave here."

The doctor rose, as did we. "Excellent! I will love having you as a patient! You know, I have not yet handled a miracle case, as this is, and I feel very privileged to be part of your care!"

We both smiled and told him we felt the same. We shook hands again, left his office and made our appointment for Wednesday, the 23rd of July. That would be my ninth week, so the blood test would be done then.

Mick had his arm around me as we walked to the car. "Let me take you out for a great dinner to celebrate!" he said as he opened my door for me.

I smiled and said, "What did you have in mind this time?"

"Muzzo's. Best prime rib in town."

I gave him a thumbs-up, got a smile in return, and Muzzo's became our next destination.

--

We lingered over my dinner and Mick's martini, (no Scotch this time!) but finally left after excitedly talking about everything from the pregnancy to Dr. Mineo and how great he seemed, to Josef and Sarah, and on and on. As we walked down the hallway to our apartment, Mick clicked the door open. Then he scooped me up into his arms and carried me inside. I looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"It occurred to me this morning, for some reason, as I was thinking about the night we came home from our honeymoon, that I never carried you over the threshold! So—now it's a little late, but welcome home, Beth St. John." He bent to kiss me as my arms held him tightly around his neck. When our lips parted, I looked at his hooded eyes, glazed with passion, and knew mine must be reflecting back the same longing that I saw in his.

"Don't put me down, Mick," I whispered to him, "just take me to bed." His smile told me that's what he had had in mind anyway.

--

I let the hostess at the trendy restaurant lead me to an outdoor table where Simone already sat. We looked at each other momentarily, then she stood to hug me in greeting.

"It's so good to see you, Beth. I've missed you."

I hugged her back. "I've missed you, too, Simone. I thought we'd always be friends, somehow, and I'm sorry things aren't the same—we don't get to see you much anymore."

I sat and ordered an iced herbal raspberry tea. Simone was finishing off one glass of wine and ordered another. I sipped and so did she.

"You look absolutely great! Pregnancy must agree with you! When is the baby due?"

"Thanks, Simone. I do feel wonderful, outside of the morning sickness! I'm hoping I'll get over that soon! The baby should come around the sixth of February. I like my doctor, and Mick is just SO excited! He's practically jumping up and down waiting for the first ultrasound!"

She smiled with what looked like a wistful smile and patted my arm. "Well, I'm truly happy for both of you. I'm sorry I won't get to be the godmother." Her eyes were questioning, and I thought I could read her expression.

"Josef is fine, Simone. For whatever it's worth, I do think he truly loved you, but after I got pregnant, all he could think about was having a child of his own. He still hasn't found Coraline and the cure, and he and Sarah haven't made any commitments that I know of, but if it's at all possible, I'm sure Josef will want a child that carries his DNA."

She nodded. "Thanks for that. I do miss him, that loveable boy. It wasn't meant to be, I guess."

She shrugged, as if she had resigned herself to the situation, and put away more of her wine. We chatted through lunch, and I gave her a packet containing several wedding photos.

"They're beautiful, Beth! What a lovely day that was!" Her eyes got a little misty as she looked through the small stack.

"Remember, Simone, I told you your Prince Charming would come along someday. You have to keep your eyes open so you don't miss him."

As we parted after enjoying a lunch of good food and girl talk, we hugged again and promised to meet often. I hoped it would be true. Besides Julia and Marissa, I felt closer to Simone than almost any of my other girlfriends. Josef probably knew how I felt, since he hadn't really brought Sarah around very much. I wondered if he simply thought it was too soon to expect us to make any strong bonds with his new love—well, actually, his old love who was now his new love!

--

I had to admit that Ben Talbot had seemed distant ever since I returned from our honeymoon, but then he was terribly busy with several active, open cases, and I was busy chasing down leads with him. I missed the old days of working cases with Mick, but this was interesting too—just not as comfortable and not as much fun. Mick and I made a much better team than Talbot and me! Oh well! At the moment, we were speeding through heavy traffic on our way to the scene of either a murder or a suicide of a famous old Hollywood legend.

We pulled up to the gate and were met by photographers and reporters, which I watched Ben handle in his no-nonsense way. It had been cloudy earlier in the day, and now the rain was falling in a light mist, just enough to glaze the pavement and cause every surface we walked or drove on to be slippery. As we left the safety of the car, Ben took my arm protectively and steered me through the crowd. Entering the house, it was immediately clear that this old Hollywood legend had not lived out her final days in luxury. It was sad to see how she had been existing—or more like subsisting!

I looked around and thought that obviously, the home had once been a show place, and I imagined it for a moment full of movie stars and the rich and famous, partying as the now-dusty grand piano had been played with finesse by some legendary musician, while the beautiful people drank martinis and danced and sang along to the music they knew and loved. Now the place was a shambles, everything covered with litter and dust, and a cloying stench hung heavily in the air. A clock chimed in the distance, and a cat ran by us, causing me to grab onto Ben in surprise.

"I guess that's why we smell cat," I said, trying NOT to smell cat and to breathe with my mouth. The odor was pungent enough to cause me to gag, but I was fighting that reflex with everything I had.

"That isn't all that smells bad in here," Ben offered, trying a light note, but not quite hitting it. I gagged slightly, and he shot a wary look at me. "I'm sorry, Beth—is the smell making you sick?"

"It is, I guess. Would you mind if I just took a look around the downstairs?" I really didn't want to face anything grisly or smelly upstairs right now. I wished I had thought to bring a bottle of water with me! Or maybe a barf bag! I tried to concentrate on what I would look for—any clue as to what might have happened here.

"Yeah, see what you can find, if the police will let you look. I'll go upstairs and get the information on the scene up there."

The police were all over the house, taking photos, taking notes, looking through drawers and generally invading the place. The cat odor and other smells began to take their toll on my queasy stomach. Soon I found myself heading out the back door into the pool area where I leaned over a large flower pot and threw up. The rain was falling harder now, and I felt my back and hair getting wetter as I wretched once again into the pot. I was in a bad spot here, with no water to rinse out my mouth, and no clean house from which to borrow a cup.

I contemplated my options, spitting furiously into the pot as the rain pounded down ever harder, soaking me along with the bedraggled flowers struggling in the pot I had just blatantly violated. That's when my eye caught a glimpse of something shiny coming up through the dirt as the rain pelted the soil. I didn't want to contaminate a crime scene by touching anything, although I figured that tossing my breakfast all over the evidence wasn't going to make Ben very happy, but as the rain washed away more and more dirt, I could clearly see the butt end of a gun emerging.

I was leaning back toward the sky with my mouth open, trying to catch some rain when Ben burst through the door, out onto the concrete patio.

"What on earth are you doing out here, Beth! You're soaked through!"

I swished around in my mouth what rain I'd been able to catch, and spit as daintily as I could onto the patio.

"I know, Ben. I got sick from the smell in there." I was wiping my lips with my fingers. Ick.

"Do you throw up really easily? Or do you simply get a lot of stomach viruses?"

"I'm sorry, Ben. It just got to me—the cat and the garbage and—whatever else is in there. I'm afraid I might have messed up something you need to look at." I felt my face grow hot and rosy, even in the cool rain.

"Well—tell me, Beth. We need to get _on _this case. The victim died of a single gunshot wound to the head, and it looks as though it could have been a suicide, but there is no gun. Somehow there is GSR on the right hand, but no weapon. It makes no sense at all."

I pointed to the ruined flower pot. "I think it's in there, Ben. I'm so sorry."

"What?" He took about four long steps and peered into the pot. "You threw up in here?"

I walked over to the pot and pointed at the gun. "I did, and that's how I saw this."

"Oh! Well! I'll get the CSI's out here to get it."

"I'm sorry about the vomit, but the rain was falling and I saw the shiny gun emerging, and if I hadn't been sick—well, who knows?"

"Yeah, who knows." He shook his head and said, "I'll be damned, Beth. You have the most unconventional ways of solving cases!"

I shrugged and shivered. He must have taken notice of my soggy clothing and felt bad for me.

"Well, you need to get dry. Can you go back to the car? Here are the keys." He handed me the keys to the car and told me to get in there and turn the heat on high. I started to walk around the house so I'd miss that odor! I heard him yell after me. "And Beth? LOCK the doors! Do not let any of those vultures get the better of you!"

He pulled out his cell phone and called someone to come check out the weapon in the vile stew swirling in the flower pot. Thinking about what it would be like to dig through that mess made me want to vomit again, but I managed to get out to the melee of photographers and the myriad other hangers-on who crowded the scene in the gated driveway area. I tried to push my way through, but was pushed back and forth, and finally I was shoved so hard that I slipped and fell onto my back, splashing as I fell into a puddle of dirty water. Several kind souls took pity on me as I lay there trying to get my breath. One held an umbrella over me while another gallant gent threw a jacket on top of me. I still shivered under it as I tried to get my bearings and take stock of what had happened. I knew it wasn't good to fall down like this, and being pregnant made it even more scary. I was about to ask someone to call Mick when Ben came running over.

"Beth! My God!" He kneeled beside me and took my shivering hand in his. "Are you all right?"

"I—I'm not sure. Call Mick, please. I think I should go to the hospital."

"Is it your back? I'll call 9-1-1." He was reaching for his cell, but I put my hand over it.

"No—I can get up. I just need to get checked out, okay?"

"Where are you hurt, Beth? I'm not sure we should move you!" He seemed pretty upset.

"I'm okay, but I'm freezing here. Help me into the car and take me to Cedars Sinai."

He handed the jacket back to the man who had given it to me, picked me up out of the puddle, and put me in the car. He ran around to the other side and started up the engine as he turned the heater on full-blast. He took off his own damp suit coat and threw it over me, maneuvering the car out of the crowded drive and onto the highway. He put his cop light in the dash, and we flew to the Emergency entrance of the hospital. He carried me in and they sent him to triage, where I was placed on a gurney and wheeled away. I saw the look of distress on his face, and felt terrible. I needed to call Mick, but everything was happening so fast that all I could do was ask someone to call him for me.

Behind the curtains, I was hooked up to monitors which showed all of us my heart rate, blood pressure and O2 saturation. I was terrified and crying, thinking something bad might have happened to the baby. I'd never forgive myself if anything went wrong because I hadn't been careful enough!

Dr. Mineo showed up very quickly, and as I explained what had happened, he directed his staff, who wheeled in ultrasound equipment while others helped me out of my wet clothes and into a gown. Then the doctor examined me inside and out.

"Everything seems normal here, Beth, but I'd like to do a transvaginal ultrasound just to be sure everything looks all right on the inside."

I nodded. "Whatever you think best, Doctor."

A pretty nurse came in and said, "Your husband is here, Mrs. St. John," she winked and whispered, "he seems awfully upset, so I'm letting him come in, if that's okay." I nodded and breathed a sigh of relief that Mick had gotten here so quickly, but just then Ben, of all people, entered my private space, looking at everything with a face filled with fear, uncertainty and shock.

"Beth! What in the world!" He watched as the ultrasound machine was being calibrated and set up for action, while other people were busy hooking things up here and there.

"Ben—could you please leave and call Mick? I need him here now!" I tried to sound stern, but since I was also crying, it probably came out more pathetic than anything.

Someone pulled up on my gown, and I quickly pulled it down. I didn't exactly want my boss seeing me in all of my glory. It was none of his business whether the carpet matched the drapes!

"Ben! Please—get Mick!" I felt a towel go over my nether regions as my gown was raised again. Slimy gel was squirted all over my belly, and someone began to run a wand over my still flat stomach. I watched with a mixture of terror and fascination as a snowy image appeared on the screen.

I looked back over at Ben, who hadn't moved, despite my pleas. He seemed to be frozen in place, watching the picture emerge on the screen. 'Well, screw him,' I thought to myself, looking back at the ultrasound screen, squinting intently at the image, but unable to make any sense out of what I was seeing. Fear took a hold of me as I thought that if I couldn't see a baby, maybe there was no more baby. I flopped back onto the pillow and began to cry in earnest. I couldn't even look at Ben, whose dark presence was still in the room.

"Please—call Mick! I need Mick here now!" A nurse handed me a wad of tissues and patted my arm.

"Who is Mick, Mrs. St. John? Do you want me to contact him?"

I nodded. "Please. Mick is my husband, not him." I nodded to Ben as the radiology tech told me to move my feet into the stirrups. Ben seemed to finally get that he should leave, so he turned and went out the door.

"This is going to feel a little cold, Mrs. St. John, but we need to do a vaginal ultrasound. At this stage of pregnancy, it's really the only way to see what's going on. It won't hurt. Just bear with me for a few more minutes."

I nodded and sobbed and watched the monitor. This time I thought I could see something—like a black space in the middle of chaos. I was instantly fascinated and didn't hear the door burst open.

"Beth!"

I turned, eyes full of tears. "Oh, Mick! Thank God you're here!" He came over and hugged me as best he could with all of my hookups in the way.

"Beth—are you hurt?"

"No—I'm fine, Mick—it's the baby I'm worried about! I fell!"

The tech said, "I'm going to get the doctor—he'll be in to explain the pictures to you." She smiled and walked out the door.

"She's smiling," Mick observed, "doesn't that strike you as a good thing?"

"I guess." I was shaking now, cold, scared and grateful to have Mick here—my rock in the midst of uncertainty.

"Hello, Mick! Dr. Mineo shook Mick's hand and patted me on the arm. "Well, it seems we got that early ultrasound after all!" He clicked a button in his hand, and the screen flashed still shot after still shot, and we watched in stupid fascination at the frozen-in-time pictures of my womb.

"See this black spot here?" He pointed to the blob I had seen earlier. "This is where the baby is," he said as he flashed by more pictures until he stopped at one he liked. "See this? It's a yolk sac, and it looks perfectly normal for a pregnancy in this stage of development."

"Can you tell if it's alive?" I asked, beginning to cry again.  
He clicked again, and a moving picture came up on the screen.

"See this little bit of light here?" He pointed at a tiny flashing light on the moving picture screen. "This indicates a kind of pre-heartbeat. It's a good sign that all is well. Soon the heart will start beating in a rhythm, but it's just a bit early for that right now. All in all, I'd say you are perfectly healthy. You have no pain?"

"No, still no pain except a little bump on my head."

"No cramping either, right? Still feeling all right that way?"

"No—I'm not having any cramping."

"And I find no blood, no discharge—looks as though you're fine, Beth. I would like you to come see me in five days or so to let me look at you again to be sure, but of course, come right back if you should see any blood or feel cramps of any kind."

"So she can leave now?" Mick seemed tight with anxiety.

"She may leave, and you may have these pictures, Daddy! That's your baby, believe it or not!"

Mick looked dazed as he held the small black-and-white pictures of squiggles and snow. "If you say so, Doc!"

"I do. Now get on home, rest for the next day or so, and come see me soon."

"Thank you so much, Doctor," Mick said shaking his hand.

"You're so welcome. Now take your wife home and dote on her!" He smiled, waved, and left the room, shutting the curtains behind him.

Mick held my hand tightly. "You scared me! I thought this time you'd be in real trouble! You and Talbot—what is it with you two? Can't you stay out of the hospital when you're with him?"

I squeezed his hand. "I was so afraid for our baby, Mick. I think I'd just die if something happened!" I cried and he bent over to hold me tight.

"It's okay Beth—it's all okay."

I shook in his arms as he held me until the aide came in to unhook all of my equipment. Mick helped me back into my clothes, and we walked out of the room and down the hall together. Ben was in the waiting room. He looked us both in the eyes, then focused on me.

"Are you going to tell me what this is all about?" he whispered loudly.

I looked around the waiting room at the people staring at us. I pointed to some chairs in a corner. "Let's go sit for a minute. Mick?"

"Okay."

We sat. Mick spoke.

"Ben, Beth is pregnant. That fall could have been disastrous! We have to hope she and the baby are all right."

I touched Mick's arm. "It wasn't his fault, honey—the photographers and reporters were all over and somebody shoved me—and I just went down. Ben came right away and rushed me here."

Mick looked at me for a second, then at Ben.

"Well, I've got to thank you for getting her here safely, man, and quickly too."

Ben looked as though he might now be the sick one. "How? This isn't. . ."

"What?" I asked him pointedly, wondering what in the world was wrong with him. Couldn't he be happy for us?

He seemed to compose himself, but looked at me with what I took to be a knowing, sly, half-smile. "Well! It seems that once again congratulations are in order!" I thought he said it a little too loudly for the close circle we were in.

Mick said evenly, "They are, and thank you."

"I'm not that far along, Ben. That's why I hadn't told you yet, but the cat's out of the bag now, I guess."

"Yeah—kind of thanks to the cat, huh?"

Mick shot me a look. "I'll explain later," I said wearily. "For now, can you take me home?"

"Let's go."

He held me around the waist. His leather jacket covered me.

"She won't be in tomorrow, Ben—doctor's orders—she needs a recoup day."

"I guess I'll see you the day after tomorrow then. Oh--and good work today. The gun was a great find!"

We left him standing there, and I was pretty sure I was the only one of us reading something awfully strange into his facial expression until Mick brought it up in the car.

"What was with Talbot? He was acting very oddly about this whole thing. I mean, it's not so unheard of that a couple gets pregnant on their honeymoon!"

"He almost asked me if I was pregnant the day I passed out on the bathroom floor, you know. He was suspicious then, but I thought he was trying to make up an excuse for why we were getting married so quickly."

"Well! Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks! Bastard."

"Mick! That's hardly called for! He's been a good friend to me!"

"And I've told you he wants to be much more, Beth. I can see it in his eyes, and I can smell it on him every time he looks at you. I know he'd never hurt you, but I have to say—it makes me uncomfortable."

"Ah! You're jealous?" I smiled and looked closely at his twitching jaw muscle.

"Should I be?" He shot me a quick glance that told me he wasn't completely serious.

"Of course!"

Mick gave me a sideways glance. "If I didn't know what you were up to at all hours of the night and day, I might have cause to be jealous, but seeing as how you don't have time to cheat on me. . ."

I laughed. "Let's get home. I need you to hold me for a while."

"Deal."

--

Ben was back in his office on his phone. "I know—you told me at your meeting that St. John is one of them! Now I have a question! Can he get his wife pregnant, being--what he is?"

He nodded, listening.

"Thanks, Christoff. I appreciate the information." He hung up and swiveled in his chair for a moment. Then burst out with a very loud "HA!!!" He was talking to himself while he drummed the eraser end of a pencil on his desk.

"I thought so! He married her because she was pregnant!" Then he frowned, thinking. If it was Josh's baby, she'd be showing by now. He had died back in January, and it was now late June! She certainly wasn't six months gone, if he knew anything at all, so when did she conceive, and with whom? Of all the crazy scenarios he could conjure up, none seemed to fit with the Beth he knew. She wasn't the type to go bar-hopping and picking up men! Besides that, if she'd wanted someone to fill her lonely nights, he had certainly been willing! It made no sense at all. He'd love to know the story, but couldn't ask, and that made him furious. And oh, man! Was he ever jealous! But then, somehow, just knowing that St. John couldn't be the father of Beth's baby calmed him. Maybe eventually there would be a chance for him, like if she wanted more children! St. John couldn't give them to her, and maybe she'd only married him out of convenience! But, he thought, if she ever did want more kids, well, he'd be perfectly willing to help her out with that!

--

Hank and Morgan held hands as they walked through the doors of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. They had been out all night, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. Now it was time to sleep. Morgan looked up at him and thought again that he was handsome. The way he carried himself was attractive too—the confident swagger of a perpetually cool vampire!

"I really want to bite you," she said as they waited for the elevator.

"Two can play that game, you know."

"Okay, but let's not break all of the furniture this time."

"Right—only a few pieces."

They smiled at each other with anticipation.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY – Fear and Loving in L.A.**

My follow up appointment with Dr. Mineo was perfectly normal. Mick paced in the waiting room during the exam—or at least I pictured him pacing. We were both so relieved that our baby was all right that we spent what was left of the afternoon celebrating in our own way: making love, gently and tenderly, bonding us ever closer to each other, now with the baby between us, a constant reminder of the first time we had shared our bodies and become a family.

Afterward, Mick held me close, as he always did, and I fell asleep with him watching over me. Nearly every day now, he wanted to talk about my safety, and I knew Coraline was a huge concern of his. I hoped that my former friendship with her at BuzzWire, when she was Morgan, would keep her from doing anything to harm me, but as Mick and Josef reminded me, she was not EVER to be trusted!

I knew Mick and Josef spent hours working on the Legion/List problem as well as the Coraline problem, as one posed a risk to me, and the other posed a risk to them. All in all, our minds were constantly nagged by a giant fear of the unknown.

The Fourth of July dawned uncharacteristically overcast, which was nice for Mick, if we wanted to venture out, but for now we simply snuggled under the covers in our morning ritual of close time. He spooned around me, his head over mine, his chin resting on the crown of my head, his body cradling mine, and for once we were silent, soaking in the peace that came before the rush of the day's activities. I was glad we didn't have to work today, and thought how great it was to have a Holiday to enjoy with a long weekend ahead. Maybe we could stay in bed all day!

I was about to say something about that when Mick spoke.

"I hear the heartbeat," he said so softly that I almost missed it. I tried to move, but he held me in place. "Shhhhh. Let me listen. . ." he said in a hushed, yet excited voice.

I waited, barely breathing, as he moved down and placed an ear over my belly. "It's soft, but I can tell it's strong—honey, I hear our baby's heart! It's beating really fast!"

"It's supposed to be fast! Mick! You really hear it?"

"Oh, yeah, it's there all right! Beth!" He kissed my stomach and said "I love you" against my belly skin. I wove my hands through his hair as I felt tears well up. What a beautiful moment! Soon I felt the tears pooling in my navel, and knew Mick also cried tears of wonder and amazement as he continued to coo and kiss the place where our baby grew.

I hated to break the spell of the magic moment, but suddenly I felt queasy.

"Mick—could you give me those saltines there on my nightstand? Quick?"

He reached and grabbed the roll of crackers, handing them to me, then watching as I lay still and shoved a cracker into my mouth, closing my eyes, trying not to be dizzy. Lately I had found that the old "soda cracker trick" of our grandmothers' era really did help! I stuffed another into my mouth, chewing fast and swallowing to try to keep things going that way instead of in reverse. I knew crumbs were flying in every direction—just what you love to have on your smooth bed sheets! Cracker crumbs! After I had downed five or so, I opened my eyes. Mick was smiling broadly, looking at me.

"What's so funny? I wouldn't be laughing at you if you got sick! I suppose you're thinking I shouldn't be eating crackers in bed, but I can't help it!"

He just shook his head, still smiling. "Nah, I'd never throw _you _out of bed for eating crackers."

I wasn't in on the joke, but he was laughing to himself. Fine! Maybe I should just throw up on him!

He took the crackers from my hand and put them back on the night stand, then kissed my eyes, my forehead, my jaw, nibbled on my earlobe, and finally got to my mouth. The sweetness of his kisses made me limp with desire, and as he pulled off my underwear and pulled up my shirt to suckle my breasts, I thought maybe I'd get my wish—a day in bed with Mick St. John.

I was keeping my guard up at work with Talbot. If Mick was right, as he usually was, I didn't want to encourage the man. At the same time, I was keeping my eyes and ears wide open—also Mick's suggestion! We knew Talbot was aware of the "list," and it was now my assignment to find out what I could about that connection.

I was putting away files in his office when his phone rang one day. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what he was setting up—a meeting—with the 'shadow people,' as I thought of them.

"Yeah, Talbot here. Yes, the first meeting was very interesting, but I'm not sure I want to be involved in this."

My ears instantly perked up, and I tried to look as though I still had files to put away as I eavesdropped.

"Same place? Well—will I receive any information I can actually use?" He snapped his fingers and I turned to look at him. He put his hand over the receiver. "Are you almost finished?" he mouthed.

I nodded and turned back to the file cabinet, now pulling files OUT that I didn't need!

"I'll come, but like I say, more information or I won't be making any more of your meetings."

I shut the file cabinet drawer so deliberately that it made no noise at all, then I shuffled as slowly as an old lady with a walker toward the door.

"Okay. Sunday the 13th. Got it. See you then."

I slipped out the door and shut it behind me before he could say a word to me. At lunch I'd call Mick and tell him what I had heard.

On Sunday night, the 13th of July, I spent an evening at Marissa and Tom's place, catching up on things. She still worked at BuzzWire, though she was looking for another job. She said a lot of my co-workers had left after I did, and it just wasn't fun anymore. She wanted to know how I liked married life, and when I blushed, she laughed.

"That good, huh?"

I nodded, embarrassed, and sipped my soda. "It's better than I could ever have dreamed, Marissa. I'm just so hopelessly in love with him."

She smiled that knowing smile of hers. "He's the one who called that day I was saying you needed to move in with Josh, right? Your phone rang, and I said it was a sign, and you said it wasn't Josh."

I thought back to that day and remembered the red rose on my phone. "You're right! Marissa—it was Mick calling me that day! You knew there was someone else! I denied it—to you AND to myself. At the time, I thought it was just a crush, but it turns out—it was real!"

"I can see that, Beth, and I'm really happy for you. I've been wondering how you were doing after Josh's, ah. . .nevermind."

She picked up her wine and took a major swallow.

I knew she felt uncomfortable. She had been a friend of Josh's and she only knew me as part of 'Beth and Josh.' This must be very weird to her, I thought, with me married to Mick now, a man she barely knew.

"Marissa," I said gently, "I miss Josh—I do. You don't have to feel you can't say his name when I'm around! He and I were together for a year!"

"A year and three months," she corrected, watching me intently.

I looked right back at her, into her sad eyes. "Marissa, I feel terrible about what happened to Josh—he was a very important part of my life. But he had to leave me, for some reason, and Mick has been my rock. Actually, looking back on it, Josh and I began to unravel the day I met Mick. Josh felt it before I did! He knew I loved Mick before I knew it! It sounds crazy, Marissa, but Josh died and I was so upset, and after mourning him, I had to admit to myself that part of what I was so sad about was that Josh wasn't even the love of my life when he died." I stopped, feeling sad for Josh. Then I had to tell her the end of it all.

"Marissa, I finally realized that Mick is the man I've somehow always loved. I couldn't say no to a love like we have."

She was tearing up, and I patted her hand. "We all love Josh, Marissa, but I know it's Mick who was meant for me."

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and shrugged. "Well! That gives all of us single girls hope!"

"What about Tom, Marissa? Don't you love him?"

"Not as much as you love Mick! I can see it written all over you, girl! That's what I want now!" She sniffed and wiped her nose.

"It's what we all want, but I'm not sure many get it. And to think I would have settled for Josh!" I looked up at her suddenly. "I'm sorry—that sounded harsh. I didn't mean it that way."

"I know what you meant, Beth. I get it!" She looked knowingly at me. "All I can say is you are one lucky girl!"

"I am. I know—I am!"

Josef, Mick and Logan hid out in the shadows, a distance away from where the assembly was meeting. They recognized many of the vampires, and even noticed a few humans seated in the space on the old FOX back lot. It was out in Century City and had been abandoned by FOX long ago. Even with no microphones, the vampires had no trouble hearing every word. The humans, however, had to lean in closer or move to the front of the assembly.

A gavel rapped the podium and Logan jumped. A dark figure all in black with a black hood spoke in a raspy voice.

"Let this assembly come to order. Roll will not be called tonight due to time constraints. We have many items of new business to discuss. Charisse will recap our last meeting and will discuss new topics."

They watched as a tall woman dressed all in leather with high-heeled boots took her place behind the podium. She briefly organized her notes, which she read, even though there was no light to read by, and the moonless night was thick and dark.

"As you all know, Emma and Jackson Monaghan were executed. Emma for treason, Jackson because he chose to go with his wife. We have lost other members of our community. Dr. Pierce Anders and his entire office were eliminated by Mick St. John and Josef Kostan. It's true that Dr. Anders was engaged in activities that likely would not have been approved; still, the fact remains that he and the others were all eliminated without the a chance to defend their actions, and this bears explanation. Suffice it to say, eliminating so many of us to save two humans is a questionable use of power, and these two must answer for their actions.

"That's bullshit!" Mick said under his breath.

"I second that sentiment, brother!" Josef whispered.

We do have other names of individuals that we are eager to find and bring to justice. Coraline Du Vall has been seen again in the Los Angeles area recently with her friend and lover, Hank Mottola. If anyone sees these two people, they have been extremely elusive and difficult to track down, and we wish to find them soon, so please contact one of your local agents, should you see one or both of them.

You all have the name list of vampires who have been marked either for elimination, inquisition or commendation. The way the list has been compiled does not indicate which name is set for which action. We will take them as we are able to find them, and hopefully by our next assembly, which will convene on the tenth of August, we will have several of those whose names you see listed present here to explain their actions or to accept commendation for work well-done.

"Wonder if we're being sought for commendation," Josef said in an inaudible tone.

"I doubt it," Mick said back just as quietly.

Logan simply took it all in. "I see Ben Talbot here," he said after a while. Mick and Josef looked where he was pointing.

"Sure enough! There's your wife's boss at a vampire meeting! I guess your secret's out now, buddy."

"Josef! This is serious! I knew he was involved in this, but I didn't know how involved!" Josef gave him a look that asked if he might be firing on only three cylinders. "What!?" Mick looked at his friend. "You think I should I tell her to quit her job?"

"I don't think she'd take kindly to your bossing her around, Mick. I say we wait and see what this is all about." He turned back to the meeting, then said, "It may take more than simply having her quit her job, you know."

Mick felt uncomfortable with this line of thought. He wasn't ready to send Talbot to the tar pits quite yet. He still felt he could rely on him to keep an eye on Beth.

"Looks like they're winding up—let's get out of here," Mick said, and they slid out of their shadow, running the half mile back to Josef's car, which he had hidden behind an old utility shed.

Back in the car, Logan was wondering about the meeting. "Why do you think they want your ex-wife, Mick? Sounds like they're really trying to hunt her down! Her and that crazy stud she's with!"

Mick and Josef looked at each other, then Mick said, "I'm taking it as a good sign that they can't find her either. Josef and I have been trying to figure out where she's been hiding for weeks now, and haven't been able to come up with anything. She must be moving around, waiting to make her move, whatever godawful thing that will be!"

"Settle down, bro. I've got three men watching over Beth. Don't go crazy over this. I think we're handling it." He pushed in the clutch and shifted the car into fifth gear. They shot forward like a rocket.

"Really? Josef—you have people guarding Beth? Ah--thank you!" Mick sighed and leaned back on the headrest, a burden lifted.

"Hey, don't get all mushy on me now. It's not always easy to think of a way to thank someone who's saved your life a few times over!"

The Porsche sped to the curb in front of Logan's place and he jumped over the door. "See 'ya guys! Say—if you'd like to come in and play some Guitar Hero. . ."

"NO THANKS!" Mick and Josef said in unison.

"Hey, man, thanks for the invite, but I've got to pick up Beth at a friend's house."

"I hear 'ya—maybe some other time."

"Deal!"

Logan waved and walked off. Josef pulled out and sped up the on-ramp to get to Marissa's place.

The ride home was exhilarating, Mick thought, going warp speed in a Porsche with the top down, but once he and Beth were back home, he was all business.

"Beth, could we talk for a bit?" He watched as she rolled her eyes.

"Is this more about being safe Mick? I'm just about as afraid as I can be! Can you let me go for one day without scaring the crap out of me? I'm already looking for Coraline around every corner!"

"So you won't sit with me for a minute?" Mick rubbed a hand over his face, a sure sign of stress.

"Fine," she said as she plopped onto the sofa. "What else can you say to frighten me?"

He felt awful about causing her stress and fear, especially now when she was with child. She certainly didn't need that! He picked up her hand as he sat next to her.

"Josef has three men watching over you, and I didn't want you to be scared if you happened to see them. I have a feeling you won't, but you're pretty sharp."

"Oh." She sat back and Mick saw her processing this information. "Well, thanks for telling me. I guess I should thank Josef—I've been so freaked out thinking Coraline is lurking in every nook and cranny I pass every day! Knowing his men are watching me, well, it's pretty cool of him."

"I was hoping you'd think so, but I was almost afraid to tell you. I hate to keep bringing up the subject of Coraline, but Josef just told me tonight, and I thought you needed to know. But hey! Even though they're trying to guard you, don't be going past any nooks and crannies by yourself, Beth!"

"I don't, but I can barely go to the ladies room without wondering if she's hiding in there!"

Mick was silent for a moment. "You know—that's a valid fear." GEEZ! How could he not have thought of this on his own! The Ladies Room! It would be a perfect place for her to hide out and jump on Beth! Fear caused him temporary insanity.

"Can you just wait until you get home then? I mean, just hold it?" The look she gave him was almost scathing. He backpedaled a bit. "Okay, can you be sure you never go alone?"

"Ah, what do you want me to do, Mick? Invite Ben along on my many daily potty excursions? Do you even know how many times a day a pregnant woman has to PEE? Gosh, Mick! I can't have somebody babysitting me every single minute!"

Mick was thinking he'd ask Josef to put one guard inside of her office building. She was right—nobody could watch her move around inside the building, and she needed protection there as much as anywhere!

"Okay, but if you see a body guard hanging in the hallway, don't freak out."

"How do I know who's a body guard and who's a goon trying to kidnap and torture me?"

She saw Mick wince at that. She did have a point, he thought. "I'll get the dossier from Josef—it will have pictures of them. It might help you."

"Thanks. Josef's a good man." She looked at Mick. "So are you, honey. I know you're scared—so am I! But we can't let her chase us into hiding!"

"I know you feel that way now, but hopefully we'll find Coraline and get her out of our way once and for all, and then we can get back to normal. We also don't know anything about this Legion and the list, but we know not all of those people are nice. Look at the guy who attacked you in the parking lot! I want you as far away from them as possible." He looked at her and she had her arms crossed against her chest. She wasn't liking this discussion any more than he was.

"Well, so now you're up to date." Mick's emotions were evident; Beth saw him fighting to remain calm. She knew he was used to finding the bad guys and getting rid of them, and this was terribly frustrating for him. From the look on his face right now, she thought, it was pure agony. She reached up and touched his cheek.

"Mick—trust that between Josef's men and me looking out for myself—and even Talbot looking out for us, well, that's a lot of people watching out for Coraline! Honey—try to relax a little!"

"Easier said than done," he replied, wondering how much he should tell her. She had no idea what kind of involvement Talbot had with the Legion--Mick didn't even know! Was he a friend or a foe? He knew Beth was completely safe with him, but as for himself and the other vampires on that list, what would the Assistant District Attorney do with that information? He tired to shake the niggling fear of the unknown that was gnawing away at him.

"Actually, the Legion is also looking for Coraline and Hank."

"Really! Why?"

"They didn't say—only that they wanted to find them." He decided not to tell her about their mention of him and Josef. He'd wait until he knew more himself.

"Well let's hope they find them soon! My gosh! Even more people on the lookout! Mick—I'll be fine!"

He looked deeply into her eyes and sincerely hoped so. If anything should happen to her—he simply couldn't live with himself.

Mick went with me to my next doctor's appointment, waiting until he was called in, watching as the doctor injected me with the Rh factor serum, asking questions and being relieved that all seemed well.

"So this shot is just precautionary? There's no indication that there are any problems?" He asked.

"The shot is precautionary, and the blood we have drawn today will tell us more."

"So," I said as we were winding up the appointment, "I'll have to come back in for the glucose tolerance test, and then we're done with the tests, right?"

"Oh, we'll keep track of you along the way, but you're going to be over the hump pretty soon. And the morning sickness should be going soon as well."

Dr. Mineo confirmed the heartbeat that Mick had heard, and said it would continue to grow louder until I'd be able to hear it with a stethoscope! He seemed pleased by my health and progress, and I assured him that I was keeping the vitamins down, now that I had quit trying to take them in the morning!

Mick and I left feeling good about the pregnancy. I was even sporting a little belly, which Mick found hard not to touch constantly! But I let him go ahead. He often talked and sang to the baby when we were lying in bed, even though I told him it was too early. He said he didn't care—_he_ could hear the baby inside of me, so why couldn't the baby hear us? Who was I to argue with vampire logic?

Coraline and Hank strolled through the gift shop of the winery they had just toured in Napa, up the coast in Northern California.

"Oh! I like this one!" Coraline said, holding up a ceramic wine bottle cooler. "I think I'll get this it." She checked out and watched as the clerk bagged her purchases, then she and Hank walked out the door of the winery on their way to their rental vehicle, which was parked in the back lot in the shade of a tree.

As they approached their SUV, they were grabbed from behind, so quickly, neither one had a moment to see who was doing the grabbing! Their assailants each took an arm and a leg, immobilizing their victims quickly, not giving a thought to Coraline's bag which flew through the air and crashed somewhere in the distance. Though both captives fought against their attackers, growling, scratching, kicking and generally vamping out, they had no chance of escape. The captors were strong and there were a lot of them. With precision and speed, a silver chain mail shroud was thrown over each of their heads, and shaken until it covered them, head-to-foot. Next, the shrouded captives were wrapped with heavy silver chains, which were then padlocked for further security, turning Coraline and Hank into shiny mummies. The silver acted immediately, immobilizing both hostages, who were roughly tossed into the back of a panel truck.

The silver was effective in rendering them so completely helpless that they couldn't even find the strength to speak. All they could do was simply lie in the back of the truck as they sped to wherever they were going, hoping it wouldn't be too long a ride, yet thinking the ride was probably not the worst of what they had coming. It was a very long trip.

By nightfall, they at last arrived at their destination, though they had no idea where they were. They were carried into a dank, dark, musty-smelling room where they were roughly handled by their kidnappers, whose faces were hidden behind the huge black hoods they wore over their heads. As soon as the chain mail shrouds were removed, Coraline and Hank were restrained again, this time by silver dog collars, bracelets and chains which were placed around their necks, wrists and ankles. They were each handed a plastic bag of warm, stale blood, which they drank out of desperation, and sat in the dark silence of their imprisonment.

"I can't imagine what this is all about!" Coraline finally said.

Hank had been so quiet that she feared he had been completely silenced by the silver.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. I'm not sure I want to know," he finally answered.

Coraline looked around the room in the dark and noticed that it was large and had several other sets of restraints, unused at the moment.

"Well, it looks like we could have company! We might be the first ones here, but they are certainly set up for more hostages!"

Hank mumbled, too tired and stressed out to even think. "I'm just SO glad we might get company, Morgan! Why don't you just shut up."

"Fine! I love being imprisoned as much as you do, Hank! At least you could be civil to me!"

He didn't answer, so eventually, she did just—shut up.

The next day, Mick had a terrifying call from Sarah.

"He's GONE, Mick! He's just GONE!"

"Settle down, Sarah. Pour yourself a shot. Beth and I will be right over."

Beth stared at Mick with an obvious look of alarm. They had just driven home from Beth's office and were looking forward to a quiet evening at home. Apparently not in the cards.

"What's happened?" She asked in a hushed, frantic voice. Mick weighed his words, not wanting to scare her, yet knowing he would.

"Let's not assume anything bad has happened yet, Beth. That was Sarah. She came home from shopping, and Josef was gone. He'd been in the freezer when she left, and usually he's there until about now, but he's gone, and his clothes are still hanging where he left them. She's very worried. Want to go over there with me?"

"Of course! Let's go!"

They raced to Mick's car and Mick broke all of the speed limits along the way as he rushed to Josef's apartment. Sarah buzzed them in before they even knocked. She ran to Mick, wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.

"I can't get him on his cell phone! He ALWAYS answers it when it's me! Oh, I'm so terrified!"

So was Mick. Was this at all related to that meeting they had attended? Or maybe it had something to do with that infernal LIST? He held Sarah as Beth patted her back comfortingly.

"I'll find him, Sarah. Did he mention ANY little thing that might make you think he was going somewhere? You know, the most logical thing is that he's stepped out for a bit and he's coming back soon."

"I checked and his car is in the garage. His keys are here. His clothes are all here. Wherever he is, he's naked. How am I supposed to feel peace about this Mick?"

"Let's sit down." Mick indicated chairs. "Beth—would you mind getting Sarah some water? And maybe a glass for yourself too? I think we need to just try to figure this out calmly." He turned to Sarah. "I'm going to try calling him." He hit speed-dial, waited, then slumped and tried it one more time.

"He doesn't answer! Why doesn't he answer!" Sarah cried out, putting a hand over her mouth to stifle her instinct to scream.

"Because the phone is here somewhere—I can hear it ringing."

"Oh no—that's bad. He never leaves without his phone! He says he can't get along without it! Beth returned with tall glasses of ice water. She handed one to Sarah, and sat down beside her on Josef's loveseat.

"Okay," Mick began in his professional voice. "So as far as you know, he should have been in his freezer when you got home."

"Yes."

"Well, from what you've told me, it sounds as though he left quickly, and probably not because he wanted to. I have to check the room out."

"Go ahead. I don't want to be in there."

Beth followed Mick down the hallway to Josef's freezer room. Mick immediately smelled the fear, saw flashes of more than two people dressed all in black grabbing Josef, then throwing something over his head. He hadn't had a chance to fight—he had been overpowered.

"Josef was abducted." Mick said it matter-of-factly, but Beth heard the fear in his voice. "I can see it and I can smell it—he's very afraid and very angry. I have no idea who it was who took him, or why, but they were vampires! I hope he'll keep his cool—I have no idea what he might try or how they might retaliate. This is just very bad."

Mick looked around the room, but there was nothing to tell him anything. They were apparently professionals, since there was no evidence of a struggle and no blood, but just a clean seizure of their target. It chilled him.

He felt Beth come up behind him and touch his arm. He hated this, but having her here during yet another crisis was helping him stay calmer than he would normally be in this situation.

"You'll have to find him, Mick. You can—I know—you WILL find him!"

Mick looked at her and it hurt her to see the pain so evident in his expressive face. She remembered how terrible it was when Josef's apartment had been blown up and Mick thought his best friend was dead. She shuddered, remembering.

"I hope to God you're right, Beth! I have to find him fast or they might kill him."

"Who would kill him, Mick?" She searched for and found his large, strong hand and slipped hers into it. He squeezed and she squeezed back—their silent communication for 'I'm here for you.'

Mick wasn't sure he wanted to tell her about the Legion targeting him, but he did, simply saying they tried to keep the vampire population under control by eliminating trouble-makers.

"I know Ben said you were on the list, and so was Josef, but would these people be the kind who would kidnap you? Kidnap Josef? Wouldn't they just order you to appear at a meeting?"

"I have no idea what they're doing. I suppose they'd worry that we'd run if we knew we were targets. I haven't a clue why our names are even on that list, except that they didn't like that we killed that homicidal cosmetic surgeon and his staff!

Beth was startled and drew in a sharp breath. "But I'd have been killed! Mick! How could they not understand that you were simply rescuing me and Ben?"

"In their minds, killing another vampire has to be justified. I'm sure they'll give me a chance to explain, but I'm not sure they'll be all that just in their sentencing!"

The chill that crawled up Beth' spine was like icy fingers that walked up until they started to choke her. Tears welled up in her eyes and she grabbed Mick's arm.

Mick felt her pain and sought to ease it, pulling her to him, holding her tightly.

"What will happen to you—to US?" Beth barely whispered the words. She was trembling, not wanting to think that something awful had happened to Josef, but it had, and now she had to face the possibility that it could also happen to Mick. "Mick—I'm so scared!"

He was too, but couldn't let her know. "I'll figure out something," he said softly into her hair. "First I have to figure out where Josef is, and then I'll worry about myself."

Beth was shaking in his arms and he wished he could tell her it would all be okay, but there was no guarantee of that. If the Legion wanted him, they'd get him, and that would leave Beth without him to watch out for Coraline, and that scared him to his bones. He still had no idea what that woman could be planning!

"Let's go back to Sarah. She's terrified too."

That night, I tossed and rolled around in the big, comfy bed, but sleep wouldn't come to me. All I could think about was what I would do if I were in Sarah's shoes—if Mick was the one missing—and I knew I'd die if anything happened to him! I began to sob, huge, gulping, heart-wrenching sobs, crying so hard that I literally drenched my pillow with my tears. I couldn't lose him was all I could say to myself over and over. Finally crying became a prayer.

"Oh, Mick! Oh, God! Please! Keep Mick safe! Please!" I whispered, over and over, hoping fervently that God could hear me. I cried until I was hiccupping, and then all of a sudden I felt sick and had to run to the bathroom. After being sick, I felt so spent that I simply sank onto the plush rug on the bathroom floor, trying to catch my breath and settle down. This couldn't be good for the baby! Suddenly Mick was there, squatting over me, his large, comforting hand on my back, feeling me struggle to get control of myself.

"Beth—honey—you can't sleep, can you?" he said so gently that I almost couldn't hear him beyond my breathing. "You're way too upset. Let's try to calm down some, okay?"

"Oh, Mick!" I said as tears began again.

He helped me up and I got to the sink where I brushed my teeth vigorously, then swished, spat and drank an entire glass of water. Not as much liquid as I had left in my pillow, I thought. I splashed cold water on my face and took the towel from Mick's hand to dry off.

"This is all very disturbing, I know, but Beth, honey, we have to weather this storm and I don't want to see you so shaken. You've got to try to stay calm for the baby."

I turned to him in the dark and could see his eyes shining. "You've been downstairs working—have you found anything? Any clues at all?"

"It had to be the Legion who took him. I mean, he lives in a fortress! Only vampires could get into that place without being invited!"

"That doesn't make me feel any better about you! I know you're on that damn list too and I know you aren't safe either!"

He was silent for several beats. "No, I won't lie to you, Beth. Not only do I have to keep you safe, but I've got to watch myself now. I'm not going to leave you here alone! I have to stay and be sure you're protected, so I'm going to be very, very careful. Let's hope we can get this straightened out soon."

I went into his arms and buried my face in the fabric that covered his chest. I breathed in his scent and I held him tightly, cherishing his strong, male body smelling so wonderfully of Mick, and faintly of Scotch, feeling the reassuring pressure of his arms embracing me.

"Mick, I can't lose you—I'll die if I lose you."

He hugged me harder and said, "No, you won't! Beth! Never say that!" I heard the catch in his throat, and I knew he was pretty emotional. "You're a mother now and you have to put your child first! It's not that I don't want to be with you and raise my son or daughter with you, but sometimes things happen, and I want to know that you'd go on without me. Promise me!"

I was crying again. I was desperately worried, and desperate to keep him with me. "I can't promise you that—Mick—I can't. . ."

His arms held me close and I wanted to melt right into him. He kissed the top of my head.

"This is the only child I'll ever have, most likely—it's the only part of me that will live on if something should. . .take me away from you." He couldn't say it--the words--'if he should be killed.' Beth was too fragile! She was shaking in his arms as it was.

"Beth, just take care of that part of me that you carry inside of you. Can you do that? Honey?"

I could only nod; the tears wouldn't stop. I felt him pick me up and carry me to the bed where he stripped off both his clothes and mine in about a second. He got onto the bed, straddling me, kissing me deeply as I opened for him, wet and needy, and he pressed himself slowly into me, kissing my face, my tears, my lips, and when at last I held all of him within me, we moved in perfect synchronicity, giving and taking, holding, touching, tasting, struggling against the thought of separation, which was as cold and terrifying as hell must be. But as we sought to ease each other's pain, the ache in my heart grew deeper still. How could I lose this man? This love beyond all understanding? This unreachable, unquenchable, undeniable passion?

Our movements became more urgent as we each sought the place where we blended together so purely that there was absolutely no space between us. This was our frantic coupling of fear of the unknown, fear of loss, fear of never again having a moment like this one to love and cherish, giving all that we had, one to the other, and back again.

Mick was relentless in his thrusting, and I was pushing back with all of my strength, meeting him push for push, closer and closer to the light. Though my heart hurt with sadness for what our future might hold, still I couldn't stop the rushing flood of intense heat taking me over, feeling the profound bodily reaction he was stirring in me as he moved, hard and solid inside of me, as his tongue invaded my mouth and as I answered back in kind with my own tongue. Our mouths devoured each other in turn as he pressed firmly, again and again into my sweltering, aching, needy flesh, which fought to be ever closer to him, yet we were as close as two bodies could be.

I felt the orgasm growing within me, strong and deep, and I inhaled sharply as I felt the first waves washing over and through me, and as I cried out his name, I heard him saying my name over and over, his own prayer, pleading to God and the Universe for us to be all right, and just for the moment, pleasure trumped pain in the tidal wave that swamped us both.

Afterward, he turned onto his side and pulled me into the curve of his body where I fit so perfectly. He pulled the covers over us, then held me tightly.

"I can't lose you, Mick," I whispered with aching sadness.

"I can't be lost to you, Beth. Sleep now. Trust, Beth. Only God could have brought us together—he'll have to protect what he's created now. Ask him and trust him to keep us safe. We need to stay together." He kissed me sweetly on the cheek and I grabbed his hand and clung to him, hoping I could somehow keep him here simply by hanging onto him.

"I love you Mick." I said it softly. I didn't know why, but I felt that I had to tell him now as 'one last time' flashed through my mind, terrifying me all over again.

"Oh, Beth," he said, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Beth, _My _Beth! I love you! God, how I love you!" He buried his face in my hair and I felt his cool breath on the back of my neck. Normally it was a comfort, but tonight it made me shiver. Then I heard him whisper, and the icy fingers ran over my skin once again.

"Beth--if you ever can't find me, even for a day, know this—I'll come back to you—somehow, I'll always, always come back to you."


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – A Prayer for the Dying**

Coraline and Hank sat in miserable silence as they waited for whatever their fate held. She had given up trying to talk with him. He seemed to have retreated into himself and didn't appreciate any attempts she made at conversation.

Twice a day, the door to their prison opened, and a hooded figure handed them more stale blood, which they drank gratefully, even though in real life, they'd have never touched anything so rank.

As Coraline began to doze off, she was startled to high alert by the door crashing open and four men carrying in a tall figure shrouded in the same silver chain mail they had worn during their own capture. While two men held the stranger, two others removed the chains and the mail, revealing a very pissed and very naked Josef Kostan. Coraline drew in her breath. She dared not say a word with the captors in the room. Josef seemed a little disoriented, but looked unharmed, outside of suffering from exposure to the silver, which any vampire hates because it renders him weak and helpless. Still, he yelled and tried to kick his captors as they fitted him with his collar and chains. They picked up the mail and paraphernalia, and one of them handed Josef what Coraline thought was probably the same old stale blood they always gave to her and Hank, and the heavy door slammed behind him. Josef devoured his meal in an instant, then looked around at his surroundings. Surprise registered in his face as he recognized Coraline.

"How long have you been here?" he asked in the vampire lower voice register, inaudible to humans, but perfectly audible to Coraline.

"They got us the day before yesterday and drove all day to get us here. She nodded at Hank. He was with me, but they took us by surprise. We had no way to fight them, really."

"I hear 'ya," Josef said. "They got me right out of my freezer! Geez!" He shook his head, remembering the surprise attack. "Man, that silver took a toll on me—I'm not sure which I hate worse—the silver or a stake! Ah, well, I really hate stakes!" He made a facial expression of disgust.

"When did they get you?" Coraline asked him.

"Yesterday. I've been lying in the back of a truck for hours."

"How long was the trip from where they got you to here?"

"It wasn't too long, but I had the impression that they were circling around so I wouldn't be able to figure out which direction they were going."

"So we're probably somewhere in the greater L.A. area then."

"That's my guess."

"Why do you think they took us? Why are we here?"

"It's the Legion, Coraline. They've been hunting you and Hank for a long time. You should have stayed in Europe! They want Mick too. We had a little fracas with a killer vampire plastic surgeon who was draining his patients and killing them to sell their rare blood types. Nice guy."

"Who won?"

"Mick, mostly. I helped a little, but he pretty much wiped them all out. I guess the Vampire Nation doesn't take kindly to killing other vampires merely to save two human lives, so I'm guessing I'm here to explain the reason behind my actions."

"Who were the two humans?" Josef could tell she was trying to be nonchalant, but he could feel her curiosity, and it was more than mild.

"Well, I think you can guess, and you're right, it was Beth, but it was also her boss, ADA Talbot. They had all gone to question the doctor when all hell broke loose and he tied Beth and Talbot up to kill later.

"Well, if that doctor was into rare blood types, he'd definitely want Beth." She stopped and the light dawned. "OH! Is that the rescue Mick made where he had to give up being human to go find Beth? They told me a little about that! Omigosh! He knew the doctor would kill Beth, so he had you turn him back, then you two went and rescued her! Oh wow!" Coraline felt a twinge of jealousy. Mick would have never sacrificed so much for her, would he?

"That's the way it went! We kicked royal vampire ass that day, though! I'd forgotten how fun a good fight can be, even though I'm more of a lover than a fighter!"

Coraline sighed. "So now you and Mick are in trouble for saving two humans, huh? That's pretty sad."

"I guess I'd have felt that way before, but I really like Beth. I'm glad she's okay."

"You really LIKE Beth? Josef! Are you, ah--?"

"Are we lovers? Oh no! She and Mick are the Monogamous Couple of the Century! There's no WAY I'd get in the middle of that! Besides, Mick is my best buddy. You don't do your best buddy's girl, even if you are a vampire."

"I'm not so sure about that, Josef. It seems I recall a time when you. . ."

"And I paid heavily for that one! Coraline, that was over a hundred years ago! I've grown up since then!"

"That's not what I hear. But let's get to the important stuff. How are we going to get out of here?"

"I really don't know, Coraline. Unless you're a shape-shifter, I don't see a way."

--

I woke, surprised to find that Mick was not in bed with me. I got up and used the bathroom, then looked in the freezer, looked in his bath, went out on the terrace, and then ran all over the house, but couldn't find him. I shivered with fear and saw that his computer was still on, so I touched the keyboard, which turned on the monitor, and that showed me pictures of several well-known vampires in the city. Dr. Mineo was one of the pictures, I noted. Mick's cell phone sat on the desk, and his shoes were under it. Fear crashed into me like a cold bucket of water thrown in my face, and it doused me so well that I couldn't breathe for a moment. I felt my knees getting weak and grabbed onto the back of Mick's desk chair.

"M-I-C-K!" I screamed, but no one answered. The silence echoed and I wanted to scream again, but that wouldn't help anything. Neither would crumpling into a heap and crying all day! Now Mick's life depended on ME, and if I died trying, I'd save him from the thugs who took him! My thoughts were a frantic blur running through my head—who to call? The police wouldn't have a clue! I picked up Mick's phone and looked through his directory. The first call I made was to Logan.

"You've heard they took Josef, Logan, and now I'm sure they have Mick." I told him how the house looked—like nothing had been touched, no sign of struggle, no blood, exactly like Josef's place looked!

"You're calling from his phone, so we can't use that to track him. I don't suppose he has a GPS chip in him anywhere?"

"No! Oh, my GOD! Logan! Is there anything we can do?" I was barely hanging on. I sank into Mick's chair.

"Let me call some people and see if I can find out anything. We've been looking for Josef, though—I'm not too hopeful. I have an idea, though—I'm going to turn on satellite surveillance around that place where we went to the meeting. I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks so much, Logan. Whatever you find, let me know."

I sat at the desk and looked at the pictures on the screen. Some were large, like Josef's and Coraline's. Others were smaller, like Dr. Mineo and Guillermo. What did it mean? Who would know? I picked up my own phone and ran through my phonebook, not thinking, just wondering if there was anyone I wanted to call. I had never felt so completely alone!

**Ben Talbot.** The name popped out at me from my phone list. Ben! Of course! He knew something about this! I hit the speed dial and listened as his phone rang, once, twice, and on the third ring he picked up, sounding half asleep. I looked at the clock. It was only five-thirty in the morning, but I was too panicked to be sorry about waking him.

"Yes?" Is all he said.

"Ben?"

"Beth?"

"Yes, Ben, it's me, Beth. I need to see you and it's urgent."

"Why, what's happened now, Beth? Is somone trying to kill you again?"

"No! I wish! Mick has been kidnapped. Well, so has Josef, and we've been looking for him. I think this has something to do with that list. Ben, I can't think of who else to call."

"I'll be right over. Try to stay calm."

Calm! I was so frantic I couldn't even think! I made myself a cup of tea with shaking hands, then took the mug over to the window and looked out at the city, just waking up, the sun pale in the horizon, the start of a new day for everyone else, a continuation of a nightmare for me! I was about to crumple into a chair when there was a knock on the door. I hit the buzzer without even checking to see who it was, but thankfully it was Ben. I thought he looked odd in blue jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt rolled to mid-arm, but then I remembered it was Saturday.

I walked up to him as he stood in the doorway, no doubt taking in my disheveled appearance. I had managed to slip on sweatpants and a sweater over my nighttime attire of a tee shirt, but I hadn't bothered to brush my hair. I still held my mug of tea in shaking hands.

"Thanks for coming, Ben," I said as I motioned him into the room. "Can I get you anything? I can make coffee—you probably haven't had any yet."

"I don't want you to go to any trouble. . ."

"Oh! Don't be silly! Staying busy is the best way for me to keep from crying! Come on over to the kitchen and have a seat."

He sat at the counter where I should be sitting now, watching Mick make me breakfast. Instead, Ben was here, watching me as I measured coffee into Mick's coffee press while the teapot heated up on the stove. The more I let myself think about Mick making me breakfast here every morning, the more miserable I felt. Soon I felt the tears welling up again, running down my cheeks. I sniffed and flicked the tears off of my face as I took out a mug and put it in front of Ben.

"The water will be hot in a couple of minutes. Are you hungry?"

"Just the coffee will be great, Beth. Thanks."

His eyes were piercing, and mine met his, watery and red. I thought I saw a subtle change in his expression as he took in my misery which was evident, I imagined, not only in my face, but in the way I couldn't even make myself stand up straight, as though my body wanted to reflexively curl into a ball of pain. I wondered if he didn't know what to say, but he was definitely scrutinizing me. The lawyer in him, I guessed. Josh used to get that same look when he was trying to figure out my moods.

The teakettle began to whistle, and I carefully poured the water up to the line in the press, placed the plunger gently on top, and carried the apparatus over to Ben.

"Give it a couple of minutes to steep, then very slowly depress the plunger. It's good coffee."

"Thanks. How about if you sit too? You look pretty frazzled."

I walked around to the other side of the island and sat on a bar stool next to Ben, rotating it so I was facing him. When I looked at him to speak, I found him staring at me. I could feel my lips trembling!

"I'm absolutely terrified, Ben. I don't know who I can talk to or what I can do to help Mick. I can't call the police, but he's gone, and I'm so afraid for him." My voice was raspy from crying and choking and now my voice caught in my throat. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry, so I took a shaky sip of my tea. I looked back at Ben who was staring at me with that mostly unreadable, but vaguely surprised expression on his face.

"I'm really glad you called me, Beth," he said, turning to push the plunger down on the press, then pouring himself a steaming cup of the brew.

"I called you because I don't know who to trust—I thought I could trust you—but what do you think about this _list _thing? Do you think they're going to kill Mick?"

Just asking the question caused me to burst into tears once again. I apologized and jumped down from the stool to go fetch a box of tissues. I brought them with me back to the chair, but I was too shaky and upset to climb into it, so I held onto the chair back and wept into my handful of tissues. I was starting to get frustrated with Ben, who wasn't saying anything to help me feel better!

When I looked back up at him, still holding the tissues to my mouth, I saw genuine astonishment. What in the heck was he thinking?

"Beth, honey, you're acting like this is the end of the world. Come on, Beth. Things will turn out okay."

I threw the wad of soaked snot rags on the counter. "What in the hell are you talking about, Ben? Tell me HOW this will turn out okay! Mick has probably been kidnapped by people who want to KILL him! What do you know about it?!"

He shrank back a few inches from me, staring again as if he didn't even know me.

"I don't know much, but I'll try to help. I've gotta say, though, Beth—you're acting like you really _care _about this guy!"

I was so dumbfounded that I actually felt my mouth drop open. I said softly, but vehemently, "What is THAT supposed to mean? Are you suddenly a MORON? Mick is my HUSBAND! I not only CARE about him, I LOVE HIM! I love him more than anything in the world! Don't you get it? I'm pregnant with his baby, for God's sake! I don't get what's wrong with you, Ben! How can you be so cold and uncaring? My heart is breaking and you think I don't care about him? He's my whole world, and right now I'd gladly trade my life for his! If I could just—see him—just one more time--I'd. . . I'd die peacefully."

My voice was shaking and tears ran down my face. I didn't even go after them. I looked down at my hands. For some reason, Ben's odd gaze wasn't helping me feel better. At least he didn't say anything stupid. I was so angry I could have kicked him!

"Beth! Honey, don't overreact here!"

Okay, that was more stupid than I could take! I was definitely going to kick him!

"First of all, STOP calling me HONEY! I'm not your honey anything!"

"Fine."

"Ben, it's not knowing if I will ever see him again that's tearing me up inside." I hiccupped softly. "I didn't even get to say good-bye!"

When I looked back at him, he looked as if he'd been punched in the stomach.

"I'm sorry—I—Beth—I thought you married him because you were pregnant. I didn't know you loved him! In fact, I can hardly believe you do! Do you even know what he is? I do! Beth! He's a monster!"

My hand reacted so quickly I didn't even think about what I was doing, and I slapped him very hard across his left cheek—hard enough to leave a red welt. He didn't look angry, though, only sad and puzzled.

"Don't you DARE call him that!" I said it so scathingly that he had the decency to look ashamed.

"I'm so sorry, Beth, I. . .don't know what to say. . ."

"Say how we can get him back! I don't want to hear you speak unless it's to tell me how to get my husband back! Do you get it now? I want him here with me and his child! I do NOT want him killed by lunatics! BEN!!! Help me!" I was pleading and desperate. I had no idea why he was acting the way he was, but I was trying my best to get through to him.

"But it's not his baby, Beth. . ."

Once again, my knees felt suddenly weak, and I sank down onto the floor. I held onto the leg of my chair and wept.

"It is his baby! It's our miracle child! He wants to be here with me to raise our baby and you won't help me! You just sit there like some kind of asshole and say mean things to me! Why won't you help me, Ben? Why? I don't know who else to ask!" I let the tears fall into a puddle on the floor. I was beyond caring. My nose was running and I was choking on my tears. I knew I'd be sick soon if I didn't get a hold of myself.

Finally Ben got off his chair and sat down beside me on the floor. He handed me the tissue box and let me blow my nose and dry my eyes. When I looked back at him, his face was tender and caring. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was looking at me through eyes of love, but I was misreading him—he must finally be feeling pity for me—and that was okay. It might spur him on to help me out.

He reached over and laid a hand on my arm. "Beth. I'll help you. I don't want to make you feel worse, but I've had some misconceptions about this pregnancy and marriage, and you haven't talked much to me since you got married. I'm so sorry for what I said—let me make it up to you by helping you find Mick."

I was so relieved that I flung myself at him and hugged him, and he put his arms around me, not minding that his shirt was soaking up all of the new tears that fell on it. He held me gently, as though I were some precious artifact, and I was comforted, both by his words and his physical presence. He stroked my hair and said nothing as my tears wet his shirt thoroughly, to the point of transparency. When I finally got a hold of my emotions, I let go of him and backed up. His face was a study in conflict, showing both distress and some unreadable thing that almost looked like desire! I was confused.

"Ben, please tell me all you know about this list, and then tell me how we're going to get Mick back."

"I'll tell you, but Beth, I'm not sure we can get him. . ."

"STOP! I cannot listen to anything negative from you right now! Tell me how to get my husband away from the kidnappers or get out of here!"

He was silent for a minute, then got up and pulled me up by the hands. He took his coffee mug in one hand, and led me with the other into the living room, where I sat at one end of the couch and he sat at the other. I felt more comfortable with him at a distance for some reason.

He chugged a few gulps of the coffee, then set the mug on the coffee table. "This is what I know, and I don't claim to know the whole story, but this is it: Mick and Josef were probably taken by a group known as 'The Legion.' They are a group of watchdogs, basically, who keep tabs on the vampires in this area."

"Why? What are they watching?"

"They keep the vampire population under control by eliminating individuals whom they judge to be in violation of the Vampire Nation rules."

I was listening with rapt attention. "Oh—like Emma Monaghan. She was executed because she threatened to expose every vampire in the Los Angeles area! It was treason, they called it! They killed her!"

"Ah," Ben said, shaking his head. "That I did not know. I have been trying to figure out what happened to her and Jackson for a very long time! It was terribly embarrassing for us that she escaped from our transport vehicle, and then simply vanished! I wish you'd have told me this sooner!"

"It's a vampire secret. I'm only telling you now because you seem to know something about this Vampire Nation and how it works—and that's how it works! Vampire justice demands a life for a life! It demands execution if a vampire betrays another. Mick always walks a fine line with them due to his job, and I'm so afraid they are finally going to try to put him out of commission!"

"Let's talk about that in a second. I still want to know about Jackson and Emma--do you know anything about Jackson's whereabouts? He's been missing ever since Emma vanished."

I looked at him and hesitated. How much should I be telling him, I wondered?

"This is quid pro quo, Ben. I tell you what happened to Jackson, and you tell me what you know to help me find Mick. Is that a deal?"

"Only if you tell me how we got out of Dr. Anders' office too."

"Fine. I'll get to that. Jackson and Emma had been together for about a hundred fifty years."

"What? That's not possible!"

"It is when you're both vampires."

He looked incredulous. "Emma and Jackson were vampires?"

"Yes. They fell in love when Emma had just arrived in America. She had been turned on the boat from Ireland, then met Jackson, a human, and they wanted to be together forever, so Jackson asked Emma to turn him. He voluntarily became a vampire to be with her! They had a hundred and fifty years together as a happy couple! It was only at the end when she had an affair that the love story crumbled. When Emma was sentenced to death, Jackson chose execution too. He held her as they were burned to ashes. I guess that is a love story after all."

Ben was honestly dumbfounded, I thought. "Let me see if I have this right—vampires live to be very old?"

"They supposedly can live forever. Josef is four hundred years old. Mick is only eighty-five. Some are a thousand. Coraline, Mick's ex-wife? She's a couple hundred or more."

"I'll be damned. I've never heard of such a thing. I always thought there was no such thing as vampires, and here they are, all over the place! And they live forever!"

"Unless they are killed, Ben, and I don't want that to happen to my husband. Please help me."

"I'm having a very hard time wrapping my head around this, so please forgive me if I sound really stupid."

I merely shrugged my shoulders. "It was difficult for me to understand as well. It's a whole different world they live in." I wondered what stupid question he'd ask next--he probably wanted to know if the baby was a vampire!

"How is it that you, a human, can marry a vampire. Aren't they technically dead? How does this work? I'm really puzzled!"

"They're not really DEAD dead, just in an altered state of animation, I guess you could say. Some call them the 'undead,' and some think they ARE monsters, but many of them are good and kind. Mick never wanted to be a vampire—he hates being a vampire! He hated himself for so long and thought he was a monster. You see, he married Coraline, not knowing she was a vampire, and she turned him on their wedding night without even asking him if he wanted it. She took his life and she took his happiness. It was so cruel, what she did to Mick! All he wanted was a normal life with a wife and a family, and at last he has that, after waiting for so many years!" I began to cry softly again. "Now he may never get to see his child!"'

Ben sat there, looking shocked. "So you're saying they aren't really dead, so they CAN have children? I've heard differently."

Here is where I took the time to explain the cure and Coraline and her bloodline to Ben. He ate up the story and begged for more.

"So you're saying Mick was human for a time? Back when we were held hostage by Dr. Anders? He was human then?"

"Oh, he was human. Apparently you didn't notice the cuts on his face from the fight he had with Lance. Vampires don't have cuts—they heal spontaneously. Mick was a human for only six days, Ben. He'd hoped it would last for six MONTHS! He had Josef turn him back into a vampire so they could rescue us! Remember? All the fighting we heard when we were tied up together? It was Mick and Josef killing those bastards in Anders' office! It was the only way to save our lives!"

Ben fell back against the cushions of the couch and put his thumb and forefinger to his closed eyes. "This is more than I can take in. Mick was human, finally, and he turned back into a vampire to save us. And that's what they talked about at the meeting we went to. They said they wanted Mick and Josef to explain why they had killed vampire lives to save human lives, like that's not a fair trade! Oh, God. WE got them into trouble."

He looked so upset that I almost reached out to him, but stopped myself.

"WE didn't get them in trouble, Anders did. He was killing some of his patients when he drained off too much of their blood."

Ben looked vexed, so I tried to explain.

"See, vampires need blood to survive because their bodies no longer manufacture their own blood, so they drink or inject blood from humans to stay alive. Apparently, there is a demand for rare blood types."

"Why would that be?"

"I understand that the different types taste different, and a vampire's favorite type is usually his own type—I mean, the blood type they had before they were turned—and some just acquire a taste for certain blood types! So, Anders used his patients without their knowledge by draining off a little extra blood during surgery if they had a high-demand blood type. He sometimes went too far—and some patients died! The one we were investigating was a simple liposuction, but she died from the blood loss. Anders killed her!"

"Wow. I didn't put that one together, but then, I didn't know Anders was a vampire."

"He wanted my blood—remember? He licked blood from my mouth immediately said I had AO negative blood—Ben—that blood type is VERY rare! He wanted me for my blood, and you were just collateral damage to him. He'd have killed us for sure."

"So because Mick and Josef killed those bastards, now they could be executed? Because they killed vampires to save us humans?"

"That's it. From what you say, they are really mad at them for killing Anders and his office workers who processed the blood for sale."

"Oh, Beth. If only we had talked about all of this before!"

"Well, we have to deal with it now. What do we do?"

"Okay, one more question—you got pregnant when Mick was human, right?"

I hesitated. This wasn't exactly his business. He must have realized this all of a sudden.

"Oh—I don't mean to be nosey. It's just the thing about vampires not being able to have children, so I just surmised that—"

"That I had to get pregnant when he was a human. Well, that was a few months before I got pregnant, actually. He was a vampire again when it happened, but somehow in the short time that he was human, he, ah, developed the ability to, ah, make a baby." I was blushing furiously now, and I felt really uncomfortable discussing our sex life with Ben!

"Okay, so the baby is genetically his."

"Yes. It really is a miracle, you see. It's a fluke, and we're elated that it happened."

"Wow. That's a story!" He shook his head. "I appreciate that you included saving me as a reason Mick gave up being human, Beth, but I'm sure if it had been only me, he wouldn't have done such a thing!"

"You know, I'm not sure about that, Ben! He's so focused on doing the right thing. He's always putting other people before himself! He was always trying to make up for things he says he did in the past, when he was first turned, and he was probably pretty wild. He didn't want to have a relationship with me because I was human."

"So he thought it was wrong to be with a human when he was a vampire?"

"He did. See, we'd only started dating after Coraline gave him the cure and he was human again. I think the only reason he agreed to date me was because he WAS human! He loved re-joining the "mortal coil," as they say! It was a huge sacrifice he made to save us--it came down to going back to the life he hated, or saving me, and he chose to save me and sacrifice himself."

"That's love, I guess."

"It is love, and I'd give my life for him as well. That's why I'm so frantic here."

"I get it now. I'm so sorry I didn't get it before, Beth. I truly didn't know you had married him for love, or that this was his baby—I feel stupid now for what I was thinking."

I could see sadness in his eyes and in his face. Then I got it too. Duh! Mick was right after all! Ben was in love with me! Empathy flooded through me as I patted him on the knee.

"I should have talked to you, Ben. You're a good friend, and I didn't trust you enough, and I should have. Especially when I knew you were in on the list thing. Oh, and you have a file on Mick too! Pictures of him!"

"Pictures of him being hit by a car so hard that he should have been road kill."

"Now you understand. He should have jumped, but he was still getting over the human experience, and I think he forgot to jump out of the way after he pushed me far enough to keep me from being killed!"

"So he's saved you at least twice, and now you have to save him."

"More than twice, but that's too long a story, but yes, I have to save him!"

"I don't know where the Legion would take him, but I'll get people working on it today, Beth. Don't lose hope. Mick's a strong guy with a lot to live for, and I know he won't give up, so don't you give up either."

He rose and handed me his empty mug. "I'll get working on this right away, and I'll call you to give you updates. In the meantime, we don't know where Coraline is, and after you told me about her, I was pretty upset about her being on the loose. Promise you won't go out by yourself. Promise you'll call me if you need anything. Beth. Please."

"You sound like Mick now." I went to him and gave him a quick hug, then backed away. "I'm sorry if I gave you any wrong impressions, Ben."

"No, you didn't—it was all me. I just imagined things that weren't real. I'll get over it."

In my heart, a warm spot grew for this friend of mine, and I could see determination in his face now—determination to help Mick, even though Mick had what he had wanted for himself.

"I'll be waiting to hear from you. I trust you, Ben, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us."

He nodded and walked to the door. With one last look of regret for what might have been, he said good-bye and let himself out. I stood alone in the silence and prayed again earnestly for the safe return of my husband.

--

Mick had been lying alone in the back of a truck for what seemed an eternity. Now he heard someone getting into the vehicle and heard the engine turn over twice before it started. He was so weak from being bound in silver that he couldn't move; he was hypersensitive to silver and it always made him feel awful. Nausea wasn't a feeling he had very often as a vampire, but that was definitely how he was feeling now, sick and nauseous. He had a new respect for Beth going through her morning sickness!

Beth! The thought of her all alone with Coraline on the loose intensified his pain. 'Oh, God,' he prayed silently, 'Please protect her! Please keep her and the baby safe!'

He didn't care so much what happened to him as long as she would be all right, but the thought of never seeing her again made him ache inside. Needing her was a physical thing, and the emptiness he felt now was as bad as anything he had ever felt in his life. To have had her for these few months was everything! To live without her would be worse than death, and he fervently hoped they would kill him swiftly to end this gnawing, aching pain of loss. He was sure he was on a journey to his death. Cold tears ran from his eyes as his lips moved soundlessly in petition to God and the Universe to help him get through whatever was coming, but mostly he prayed for his wife and the baby she carried.

The truck bumped along a rough road now, and Mick's already aching bones cried out for some kind of relief. He needed blood badly. He had missed his morning feeding—they had grabbed him very early, and though he had no idea what time it was now, it had to be near dark. The need for blood, he thought, must be something like withdrawal from alcohol or drugs. His body hurt from head to foot, and his thirst was worse than the day he'd been caught in the desert. He would die if left like this for much longer, and he almost welcomed the thought, but he longed to see Beth just once more. He'd never had a chance to say "good-bye."

--

Beth was kneeling by their bed, weeping. She held her mother's old rosary in her hands, but wasn't praying it; simply holding it, knowing how much her mother had treasured it and prayed it every day was of some comfort, though comfort was hard to feel tonight. Tears dripped onto her hands and rolled over the pearly beads.

"God in Heaven," she said out loud, "Send your angels to protect Mick. Take me if you want to, but please don't let him get hurt. If it's possible, please bring him back to me. I know it's selfish, but I need him, and our baby needs him too. Our love for each other is a gift only you could have given us, and we cherish it. So please, protect that love, protect him. Cover him and shield him from harm. Please give him comfort, and help him not to suffer. Tell him I love him. . .and please, Lord. . ._could you hold him for me tonight?_ Put your loving arms around him and hold him close. Amen."

--

Mick felt so ill he wanted to vomit, but knew he couldn't. He wanted to be out of pain, and the bumpy road seemed to go on and on and on, making him feel worse with every jostle. He wanted to cry out in pain, but didn't have the strength, and just as he was thinking he could take no more, he felt comforting arms wrap around him, holding him gently but firmly. "Beth!" he tried to say through parched lips, but there was no sound. He lapsed into unconsciousness, feeling her arms holding him close to her heart.  
--


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Captivity

It was nightfall, and after a day of uncomfortable dozing in their chains, the vampires were wide awake and miserable. Coraline was growling and pulling forcefully at her restraints. Hank said nothing, but watched her disinterestedly. Josef was surprised when she levitated off of the floor and hung in the air like a hot air balloon tethered to the earth with too many ropes. He watched, fascinated as she stayed there, a couple of feet or so off of the damp floor, wishing he could do that to give his butt a break from the hard, moldy, gritty damp floor.

Finally he had to ask, "How do you do that, Coraline?"

"Oh, it's something I picked up back when I lived in France. We had to hide when the mobs came looking, and it was really handy to be able to hide on the ceiling while they looked around down below. It was kind of a game, and I got really good at it.

"I see that! I'm impressed!"

"You just will yourself off the ground. At first, you might only be up a half an inch or so, and maybe for a matter of seconds, but if you practice, you can hang around for hours."

"I had no idea!"

"Go ahead—try it!"

Josef leaned back and laid himself out on the floor, then closed his eyes and imagined he was floating. Nothing happened. He tried again, thinking of Coraline, picturing himself in the air, floating above the floor as she was. He kept that picture firmly in his mind for several minutes. He closed his eyes to really concentrate and willed himself up. He didn't feel it happen, but suddenly became aware that he wasn't on the floor. He didn't know how he did it, but he was floating! He opened his eyes to look below him, and felt his body slam back down onto the slimy cement.

"There! You did it, Josef!" Coraline came back down and sat, then clapped. "See? You can levitate too! Just keep practicing! If you could do it that fast, you'll be a pro in no time!"

He smiled at Coraline. "Wow—that's really cool. How come I never knew about this?"

"I don't think many of us can do it—you've got some of the royal bloodline in you. I think the ability is passed on from your sire, and it's getting less and less common as the bloodlines intermingle. Back in the old days, all the vamps could do it, I hear."

"Wow. I love that. I'm going to practice every. . ."

The heavy door swung inward and crashed against the wall. Two large men cloaked in black carried another shrouded body down the stairs and into the room. This one had no fight in it; it looked like a sack of wet rags. They laid the body on the floor and unlocked the chains, pulling them off, then began pulling off the mail shroud with their hands gloved so as not to handle the silver. The body was male, Josef noted, with large, bare feet that were smooth and white, protruding from blue jeans. The men kept tugging the silver chainmail from the body and it offered absolutely no resistance. When a hand flopped out with Mick's ring on it, Josef sat up straight. Mick's head hit the floor with a whack as they pulled the mail off of him.

"Watch it, there, you idiots! You're gonna give him a concussion!" Josef barked.

The guards looked at Josef stupidly, then at the unconscious form and shrugged. "Don't think no vampire is gonna get no concussion anyways," the taller one said.

"I think you two must already have one!" Josef wondered how these two even had a job. They were obviously two of the most stupid vampires he'd ever met! "What's wrong with him?" he asked loudly and slowly enough for them to understand him.

"We don't know—maybe we left him in the truck too long."

"What do you mean too long? You didn't leave him in the sun in that tin can, did you?" Again they shrugged.

The short one said, "It might 'ha been a little sunny at that." The tall one hit him in the shoulder. "Well, it might!" he said defensively.

"Bring him over here, I want to see him," Josef said in a very no-nonsense voice.

"Why?" asked the tall one.

"Because I want to see if he's dead." Josef's voice was low and commanding. The captors dragged Mick's body over to the man who asked to see him without knowing exactly why they'd obey a chained up naked guy.

Josef touched Mick's forehead and it was very warm—way too warm. He touched his lips and they were dry to the point of peeling.

"What did you do to him? If you two left him in that truck in the hot sun all day, I'll personally tear you limb-from-limb!"

The two thugs looked at each other, then back at Josef and together they shrugged.

"I do NOT believe this! When was the last time he fed?"

"I dunno." Said the bigger one as he shrugged again. "We got 'im real early this morning. We ain't given him nothin' all day."

"He needs blood, and he needs it right now! Go get blood right this second! Hurry!"

"Geez—what's with you? What do you care?"

"I know him—he's my friend. He'd be your friend too if you ever had the privilege of knowing him. Now please—I'll pay you anything you ask when I'm free, but right now I need you to get us blood. Can you do that? Get blood for all of us, at that, or I'm telling you--pretty soon you'll have nothing but a room full of dead vampires! Go! Do you want to be responsible for killing a prisoner? Who do you answer to? I doubt your boss will be happy to find out that YOU have killed us without letting him have the fun of putting us on a rack first!"

"Okay! I'll go," said the shorter man. "You watch them while I'm gone."

"Yes sir." The tall one gave a mock salute and took up his station over by the stairs. The short one trudge up and soon the door slammed shut.

Josef put his hand on his dying friend. "Mick! Buddy! Don't leave us! Wake up, Mick!" No response. He tried shaking him, but Mick was completely lifeless. Josef pulled him over onto his lap and held his head with one arm while he slapped his cheeks, trying to raise any response. There was none.

"Is he dead?" Coraline asked. Hank didn't even look, but stayed in his frozen position, head leaning against the concrete block wall, eyes shut.

"I hope not, but he's very hot and very dehydrated. He's in bad shape."

"Omigod." was all Coraline could say as she watched Josef hold Mick, cradling his friend tenderly as he contemplated what to do to save the unconscious man's life.

"Mick—you have to wake up!" He shouted loudly and desperately. "You HAVE to! Buddy!" When he felt nothing from Mick, he did all he could think to do and hoped to all things good in the Universe it would help. He held Mick tightly with his right arm, then his eyes glazed over and his fangs came out. He lifted his left arm up and bit it hard, drawing a lot of blood. He held his arm over Mick's mouth so that the blood dripped onto his lips. If Mick had any life in him at all, just the smell of the blood and the taste on his lips would cause him to come to and drink. The blood covered his mouth, but Mick didn't respond. Josef's wound began to heal up, and soon it bled no more..

Again Josef bit, this time sinking his fangs deep into an artery, then holding the gushing blood over Mick's partially open mouth. "Drink! Mick! Buddy! You have to swallow!" Josef felt a stab of panic shoot through him. His friend lay completely unconscious across his body—no response, though the blood had to be running down his throat by now.

A third time Josef bit himself, nearly tearing a chunk out of his arm. As a last resort, he put the wound directly onto Mick's lips. He knew that if his friend didn't swallow soon, the blood might choke him, but Josef knew he had to try—he had no choice. This was Mick! He couldn't lose his friend, who now either had to come around and begin to feed or he'd drown in the gush of blood running into him. "Drink, Mick! Drink for me! Buddy! Come on! BETH needs you! BETH, Mick! Do it for BETH! DAMN IT! MICK! SWALLOW! SWALLOW FOR BETH GODDAMIT!"

Mick felt as light as a feather, as if he were floating somewhere—or maybe it was his bed—it was so soft it felt like lying on a cloud. That had to be it! His bed, the one he shared with Beth! It was so peaceful and comfortable. So much better than all of that pain! Sweet relief! He never wanted to leave this place and go back to where he had been! He loved lying here with Beth, her arms around him, close to him. He could feel her warm breath on him and felt her love surrounding him, keeping him in a safe cocoon. 'Oh, Beth!' His mind called out to her. He wanted to touch her, but didn't want to wake her, peaceful as she was, his sleeping princess. In his mind he called her name, over and over, Beth! Beth! Stay with me Beth! I'll never leave you. I love you always. He saw her smile in her sleep and caressed her silky golden hair. Hair like an angel, he thought. Maybe this was heaven and he'd gotten in after all!

Then he heard someone else saying her name—it was so clear—he was saying other things too, but Mick only heard the word "Beth!" Who would be calling her? And why did he feel he was drowning? He didn't have to breathe, but something was wrong. He wanted to go back to the comfort of the cloud and sleep in the bed with her beside him, but an annoying voice kept talking to him! If only he'd shut up! He concentrated again on Beth and their billowy cloud of comforters and pillows. It was so wonderful to smell her and hear her breathing. . .but then her voice was in his ear.

"Be safe, my darling Mick—be safe for me and for our baby. Drink my blood, Mick. Swallow my blood. You need to drink, Mick. Drink for me. . ."

He felt cool liquid clogging his throat, running over his tongue and down, flooding and pooling inside his gullet. Why was she trying to feed him? He hadn't asked her to do that! He didn't want this from HER! Nevertheless, he swallowed once, as she had told him to, and then again, and the liquid flowed swiftly. He gulped, sputtered once, then took a hold of the arm offered him and sucked hard, feeding on the life-giving blood, feeling it pulling him back to this world, back from the place of peace and comfort to this place of pain, and yet he fed, driven by a need and a hunger deep within him to survive. Her voice soothed him.

"That's right, Mick, drink and live. Live for me. . ."

His hunger took him over the edge. He wanted to sink his fangs deep into the flesh he held. A growl began deep in his throat, and as he was about to re-start the flow that had stopped, he heard his friend Josef.

"Mick! I can't give you any more, buddy. We haven't fed yet either!"

Mick didn't respond, only growled and thrashed around, trying blindly to grab the arm Josef had taken away from him.

Josef was relieved, but knew Mick still wasn't okay. Coraline had been watching the entire ordeal, looking worried. Josef looked over at her.

"Coraline! I need your help here! Pull him over toward you and give him some of your blood—quickly! He's coming around, but he's not out of the woods yet!"

Josef pushed Mick off of him and gave him a shove in Coraline's direction. Mick had gone lifeless again, and Josef pushed as quickly as he could. As Mick's unconscious body came nearer to her, lifeless legs inching toward her, Coraline stretched out her hand and was able to grasp the hem of one leg of his jeans, and she pulled him over to her. She, too, felt his forehead, finding it unnervingly hot, and it scared her when she felt just how limp and wilted he was, like a rag doll.

"He seems to have passed out again, Josef," she said with concern.

"Well, you know what to do, Coraline. Give him your blood! It's not like you haven't done that before!" She remembered the first time he had fed on her and how erotic and primal that moment had been, and she suddenly felt transported back about fifty-five years to their wedding night. She looked at her sweetheart tenderly and brushed a tendril of his hair off of his forehead. He was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and her heart filled with pity for him if he truly was dying. She wanted badly to kiss him, maybe for the last time. . .

"Is this little love ritual going to take much longer over there? He's DYING, Coraline! Just give him some blood, will you and stop with the reenactment of your last tryst?"

For the sarcasm, Josef received a wilting look, then he watched as her eyes glazed vampishly and her fangs protruded. Cradling Mick in her arms, as she had seen Josef do, she brought her free arm to her mouth and bit deeply, then put the wound to Mick's mouth.

"Drink, my darling. Drink my blood."

Mick heard Beth again and was confused. Again he wondered why she wanted him to drink her blood! But he tasted the life force in it and knew that what she was offering, he should not refuse. This time his arms came up quickly and tightly held the limb offered to him, and he was grateful for it, subconsciously realizing that he needed it; without this flesh from which the gift of life flowed, he would surely die, and he would leave behind Beth and his child. With these thoughts in his mind, which was rapidly waking up, he sucked desperately until the wound healed up, and the blood stopped flowing. He wasn't finished, though, and he turned the arm for better access to the spot where he smelled the blood beneath the skin. Coraline could feel his fangs sink into her flesh, his tongue licking her skin, and she felt a strong pulse of pleasure go through her body as he bit her and drank her blood. She didn't want him to stop, and she moaned as he suckled from her, taking her inside of him once again. It had been so long! She was overcome with the sensuality of the moment! To her, it was terribly erotic--her husband at long last feeding from her body, and she moaned over and over with pleasure and satisfaction as he fed, feeling his fangs, tongue and lips, and every molecule of blood she shared with him, oozing from her, into him. She was so overcome with the pleasure of it, that she completely forgot to tell Mick to stop. Josef, watching her carefully, felt he had to intervene before Mick took too much out of her.

"Coraline! CORALINE! Stop him!" She came out of her trance, eyes and fangs vamped out and seductive.

"I don't want him to stop, Josef! I want him! I have him now!"

"Coraline! You pull him away or YOU will die too! Do you want to die and leave him here?" Josef wasn't exactly sure why he cared, but he felt that Mick wouldn't want to kill his ex-wife this way. Not here, not now. The time may come when he would have to kill her, but this wasn't it—not when Mick couldn't make the decision for himself.

Coraline finally felt herself weakening, and knew she had to stop Mick. She gently unhooked his fangs from her arm and pulled her arm away from him.

"You'll have to wait for more, my love, she said sweetly. Mick moaned slightly, looking at her, a dangerously attractive vampire with need in her eyes. There was blood on his lips, and before he could lick them himself, she leaned over and licked them for him, like a mother cat cleaning her baby. Mick simply lay on her and didn't make a move to stop her.

"Coraline, stop doing that!" Josef said rather disgustedly. Geez, would this woman ever get the thing between Mick and his wife? He guessed not, since Coraline never thought of anyone but herself.

Mick was still very groggy and out of it, still so weak that moving was an effort, but as he felt her tongue descend once again to his lips, revulsion swept through him and he tried to turn his head away.

"Stop moving, darling, I think I left a spot." She was as relentless as a starving kitten with a bowl of milk, and she licked his mouth until no trace of blood remained, then went ahead and kissed him with a full-blown open-mouthed, passionate, wet kiss, filled with desire and bold posession. This brought some fight back into him as he tried impotently to resist her assault on him. He growled and thrashed, and even pushed at her, but she only took his actions as a sign of arousal, and it turned her on to have him in her arms again, moving about wildly, his body so close against her, rubbing and touching, and she felt a stirring inside of her that was strong and needy as she realized that once again he was completely at her mercy—just as she always liked her men.

She looked into his vamp-glazed eyes. "I love you, darling. I'll love you forever."

"Coraline!" Josef shouted. "Stop that! Push him back to me!"

"He likes it, don't you sweetheart?" Mick closed his eyes to shut her out and tried to think of Beth. He felt like gagging and knew he didn't want to vomit; something inside of his fuzzy consciousness told him he needed to keep the blood inside of him. However, his loathing ofor her went so deeply that it was almost as if his body wanted to reject her blood, life-saving or not!

"Beth," he whispered softly. His mind wandered to where he had last seen her, curled up with him in their bed. It had felt to him that night like the last act of their play, the closing curtain coming down on them way too early. Even in his semi-conscious state, he knew it was Beth he wanted, not this woman who held him, and he longed to be out of her reach and in the arms of the one he loved. "Beth," he murmured again, and it was a plea that she would be safe and waiting for him to come home to her.

Coraline was very displeased that he kept calling out for his insipid little freshie "wife!" After all, it was SHE who had just fed him her very own blood to save his life! Why wasn't he calling for her! He should be highly aroused by now, having her feed him and kiss him, holding him close. He should be able to smell her desire, and yet all he could say was that blonde bimbo's name!

"Stop saying that, my love. Call me by my own name," she whispered.

Mick could smell arousal all around him, but it wasn't Beth's. The taste of this woman's blood was still on his tongue, and though it tasted very familiar, it wasn't Beth's blood, and he had not been at all aroused when he took it from her. In fact, he had felt nothing but a sense of easing the terrible thirst that had consumed him. It had been as exciting as drinking blood from a glass.

"Coraline, push him back to me, please." Josef said evenly.

"I think he likes it when I hold him!" She smiled down at him, though his eyes were closed and he seemed unresponsive again.

"He does NOT like it! Coraline! Give him back to me!"

"Oh, Josef—I just want to hold him for a little bit." She still smiled, looking down at his peaceful face, but she couldn't know that he only closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to see her. She couldn't have known either that his heart was closed to her as well. She hugged him to her, and smelled his familiar scent, and wished she could be alone with him!

Mick remained as lifeless as a doll. He tried to garner the strength to roll off of the woman he now registered as Coraline, but it was too much effort, so he continued to feign unconsciousness.

"You know he's a married man now. You may as well stop thinking he'll ever come back to you," he heard Josef say to his ex. 'Good going, Josef!' he was thinking to himself, and a quick smile touched his lips.

"Oh, Josef! Just be quiet! He's smiling! You know I was his first! He'll always love me! That human girl can never give him what I can! You know that too!"

It occurred to Josef right then just how crazy this ex-wife of Mick's really was! She thought she could play dolls with him and he'd be her boy-toy! It filled him disgust and hatred.

A deep growl came out of Josef's throat. Coraline looked up. "What's wrong with my dear friend Josef?" she asked, a look of seduction on her face and in her eyes. To Josef, her sing-songy voice wasn't alluring at all; in fact, to him it sounded more like a coo-coo clock chirping irritatingly than a siren calling her lover.

"I'm going to tear you apart if you don't let him go."

"Oh, and how are you going to do that? Lovely necklace and bracelets you have there!" Her laugh was pure evil, the laugh of a lunatic. Even in his semi-conscious state, Mick recognized it and felt gooseflesh cover him. He was revolted by her, and even the smell of her body was disgusting to him as she held him, hand at the back of his head, pressing his face into her cleavage.

The door swung open once again, and the second guard came tromping down the stairs, bearing four bags of blood. One he gave to Josef, then one each to Coraline and Hank. He looked at Mick laid out across Coraline's chest.

"How do I get the dead guy to drink this?" he asked stupidly, holding the bag of blood.

"You pick him up and bring him to me. I'll be sure he gets it down," Josef said, again with such an air of authority that the man did exactly as told. He went over to Coraline and easily swung Mick's body up into his arms, then carried him over to Josef and laid him down next to the naked man.

Josef ignored his own hunger and thirst for the time being and opened the spout on Mick's bag of blood, tipping it into his mouth.

"You're back with me, buddy, and now you have to feed. This blood is nasty, but it will bring you back to life, so drink it."

Slowly Mick's lips closed over the tube, and he sucked. Josef put pressure on the bag so the blood would flow more swiftly, allowing Mick to drink without much effort. It was a slow process at the start—Mick kept forgetting to swallow and choked several times before he finally got into a rhythm and drained the bag.

"Good job, brother, " Josef said to his friend.

"Thanks," Mick whispered.

The two guards swiftly came over to Mick and picked him up by the arms and legs, carrying him over to another set of restraints. Mick simply laid on the floor as they chained him up, offering no resistance whatsoever. When they were done, they turned to leave, but Josef caught them before they were out the door.

"Wait just a damn minute, guys! I know our allotment of blood is only two bags a day, but you almost killed this guy here today, by being stupid, and the lady and I just had to feed him our own blood to try to keep him alive. I'm telling you now—three of us are in danger of dehydrating to death if you don't bring us more blood."

"I think—no can do, Mr. Kostan." The short man looked genuinely sorry. "The blood supply is closely watched by our employer."

Josef tried to rise up and look as authoritative as a naked man can.

"You gotta hear me, Comrades. Get more bags of blood down here as soon as you can." He pointed to Mick. "This guy over here has a LOT to answer for—believe me, your leaders will punish you if you just let him slip away without allowing them torture him for his wrongdoings! So get him some blood now. If you let him die down here, I sure wouldn't want to be YOU!"

Both guards nodded. The bigger one said, "We'll try, Mr. Kostan."

Josef wasn't sure if it was the way he said it or the fact that they knew who he was, but he was grateful that they seemed to understand. "Thank you, and as I said, do this quickly. The almost-dead guy isn't doing well, and he took a lot of my blood out of me! We need it fast!" He thought he may as well tell them what else to bring him—they seemed rather compliant at the moment. He caught them right before they turned to leave.

"Hey! One more thing! You also need to bring me some clothes. My butt is going to grow ferns on this nasty floor pretty soon! I wear a 34 x 36 for the pants, and a Large or XL for the top. I don't care what color, just something to cover up with!"

"Yessir, Mr. Kostan," they said in unison, and up the stairs they trudged. With a slam of the door, they left.

Within an hour, everyone had another bag of blood to drink, and this time Mick sat up and managed to drink without help. Things were looking up, Josef thought, as he looked down at the ridiculous pair of pants he wore. The shirt wasn't so bad, but the pants were made for a short, fat man, not for him, and they were brown and polyester! He had, however, managed to talk the guards into removing his restraints long enough for him to dress, and he felt more comfortable now that he was covered, even if exceedingly unfashionably.

--

Beth slept fitfully that night. She kept dreaming strange dreams that woke her up. In one, she was a raven, pecking the flesh off of a dead carcass. The carrion was tasty and she enjoyed the meal until the carcass began to move and speak, asking her why she was killing him! She explained to the carcass that she hadn't killed him, but had found him dead from lying in the sun too long. The carcass asked why the sun was bad, and she had to tell him it wasn't really bad unless you let yourself dry up and die in it. The beast was quiet then, but after talking to it, she found she no longer had an appetite.

"AH!" She cried out as she sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. What a terrible dream! Eating dead flesh! What was THAT about! She tried not to think about it—she put her head back down on the pillow and prayed for Mick. Maybe he needed to feed. 'Please, God, keep him safe for me. If he's hungry, help him find blood.'

When at last she fell asleep again, she dreamed she was swimming. The water was cool, like the ocean, and she imagined she was back in Mexico with Mick, jumping the waves and splashing in the cool sea water. She opened her eyes, though, and to her horror, found she was swimming in a sea of blood, and it was trying to suck her under, like a strong undertow, and as hard as she fought it, she couldn't surface. She stayed submerged in the blood, knowing she would soon drown, and as she opened her mouth to scream, the blood flowed into her mouth, and she was so surprised that she swallowed it! It tasted good, so she took another swallow. Soon, she was gulping it, drinking greedily as it filled her up, making her feel warm and safe. She felt her belly growing distended with the liquid, but still couldn't stop drinking! When at last she was as full as a tick and ready to burst, she found that the blood sea was gone and she was standing all alone in the empty sea, so she simply walked to the beach and lay down in the warm sand. She looked down at her full belly and was shocked to see it so large. Something inside was moving around, so she assumed she had swallowed a fish. She wondered what to do! How could she get the fish out of her belly!

Once again, Beth awoke with a start and stayed very still, panting from the exertion of the vivid dream. What did it mean? She wished she had a dream interpreter! She put her hands on her stomach, and found that it wasn't huge at all. Only a small bump was palpable where her baby lived. As she lay quiet, she imagined the tiny butterfly wings brushing her inside, and she wished she could feel the baby—maybe then she wouldn't feel so terribly alone. It was the end of July—almost the first of August. Two and a half months. She knew she'd have to wait a while to feel anything, but she wanted to feel it now. If only Mick could be here! Mick should be singing to their baby! They shouldn't be alone here without him! She wondered where he was and if he needed her. She thought of drinking the blood. It seemed clear to her that swallowing the blood was important, but she didn't understand why.

"Be safe, my darling Mick—be safe for me and for our baby. Drink my blood, Mick. Swallow my blood. You need to drink, Mick. Drink for me. . ." She said the words, but didn't know what they meant. She asked God to be sure Mick got the message.

She turned her face to her pillow and cried, missing him, falling asleep eventually, this time, dreaming of sea horses and babies swimming together in the big aquarium in Dr. Mineo's office.

--

Within two days or so, Mick was feeling pretty much back to normal. He, Josef and Coraline all practiced levitating, and though Coraline was the one who could stay up the longest, Mick and Josef weren't bad. They practiced for hours, since there was nothing better to do, and even got so they could stop concentrating on the levitating and talk to each other as they hung in the air, chains the only thing binding them to the floor. It was a fun game, and Coraline watched them, smiling, taking the credit for teaching her students well. Mick had known Coraline could do it—he had found her hovering on the ceiling the night he saved Beth, but he had never had a chance to ask her about it, and, frankly, had forgotten it. Now he wondered if it might come in handy for escape. Maybe Coraline had floated above the fire that night and saved herself!

As usual, Hank did nothing and said nothing. He completely ignored everyone, never entered into their conversation, didn't try levitating and pretty much stayed inside of himself. Josef and Mick noticed that Coraline didn't seem all that upset when she tried to engage him in conversation, but all he could say to her was "shut the fuck up." Eventually she stopped trying.

--

Logan had been watching the abandoned FOX lot for days on his satellite GPS feed, but had seen nothing of interest since the night of Mick's abduction. That night, a black panel van had driven out there and had gone behind a building. He couldn't get a crystal clear picture of what was going on due to an overgrowth of brush trees, but from what he could tell, two men in dark clothing had carried a large bag into an underground bunker of some sort. The only other activity he had seen over the past thee days was the same two men driving to the bunker and going in and out a few times a day. Usually they carried backpacks, but those didn't look big enough to be important. Still, he called Ben Talbot to tell him what he had seen on the video stream, and Ben said he'd check it out.

Logan also called Beth every day and told her basically the same thing. She was encouraged when he said that Ben would take a team out to comb the area.

"Thanks so much, Logan! It helps to know that somebody is trying to find out what happened! I'm just so frantic, worried about Mick!"

"I know, but hang in there! Ben is a good man! He'll be able to find them if anyone can!"

Sarah was now spending a few hours a day with Beth at Mick and Beth's place. Ben thought it might help both of them to talk and keep each other company. Beth had to stay indoors due to the threat that might be out there, since they still had no location on Coraline, and had no idea what the Legion had in mind. Ben had hired men to block up the balcony door and cover the windows with shatter-proof material. Beth was essentially surviving in a cave, but she enjoyed her visits with Sarah as they got to know each other, and even cried together at times as well, missing their men. Sarah wanted to know everything about Beth's pregnancy, since she was hoping to have Josef's baby soon. She was kind of surprised to hear that her smoking habit wasn't good for her, and further, that she'd have to leave the apartment to go smoke. Beth wouldn't allow smoking around her and the baby.

"It would be better if you'd quit—I mean, you did quit for over fifty years, when you think about it! Your doctor will tell you to stop, and if you want to get pregnant, well, you'll have to quit the smokes for nine months!"

"Wow! That's all new to me! Everyone used to smoke! I didn't know things had changed so much! Why, I was ushered out of the grocery store last week for lighting up! I couldn't believe it!"

"That's how it is now. Of course, some women do smoke when they're pregnant, but you have a higher incidence of low-birth-weight babies and lung complications, I hear."

"Sara made a face. I guess I'd better give them up! I want our baby to be perfectly healthy! Hey Beth! Our kids could grow up together!" she said with enthusiasm.

"I'd love that," Beth said wistfully, hoping against hope that it would someday be true.

--

Mick was studying the cuff on his wrist, looking for a place to spring the lock. He hadn't been wearing a coat when they took him, so his lock picks weren't with him.

"Hey, buddy—too bad you can't just pick us out of here, huh?" Josef said, reading his mind.

"That's what I'm thinking—if only I had a pin, a hairpin, just something. I've scanned this floor a hundred times, and all I see is dirt."

"I know—it's a real sensory deprivation chamber, isn't it? The only good thing I can say about it is that it's awfully cold in here!"

"Yeah, at least they got that part right! Bumbling idiots! I wonder who's holding us here?"

"I don't know who the current Grand Puba of the Legion is, but his minions are a bunch of pinheads."

"No kidding! If we could only think of something, they'd be easily fooled. We could probably make them help us."

"We need a locksmith," Coraline said, then remembered Mick could get into any place he wanted!. She had an idea. "Mick—is there anything on our clothes that could work to pick a lock? I mean, I have a zipper and a button, and my bra has a couple of hooks. What do you think?"

Mick looked at Coraline. "Not bad thinking, Coraline, but I need something that's straight and pretty strong and very thin. I NEED a pick!" He felt around his jeans pockets, then lifted a butt cheek and felt in the back pocket. Nothing. He looked back at Coraline. "That bra doesn't have an underwire in it, does it?"

"I don't know! Let me check!" She felt around. "I think this one does, actually. I wonder if it's only plastic, though." Mick could hear her ripping the fabric and watched as she picked at it with her nails. Out from her blouse she pulled a long, thin wire. Mick's heart leaped as she held it up for him. "Will this work?"

"I think it might. Throw it to Josef." She did, and then Josef handed it over. It looked like it would be the right size, if it would stay strong enough when he worked it. He stuck it into the little hole near the locking mechanism of his left wrist. Within a few seconds, the lock popped and the manacle released. "Open sesame!" He looked at Josef and beamed.

"What do you think, bro?" Josef asked him.

"What I think is that we are going to leave this place tonight! Let's plan this, though—I want to wait until the goons have fed us and it's getting dark."

"I'd say wait a couple of hours then. If my inner time clock is at all accurate, they should be here pretty soon for our stale dinner feed."

"After they leave, I'll get to work, but for now I can try picking the locks on our bracelets. What I'm going to have trouble with is the necklace."

"You go ahead and work. I'll listen for footsteps." They both stopped for a moment and looked up. They did hear footsteps right above them, or at least above the high ceiling in the cave.

Mick said, "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't sound like the normal foot-stomping sound of the Two Stooges coming with our ration of blood! I don't know WHAT that is!"

They all remained quiet, and soon the noise left.

"I don't know what that was about—maybe it was deer or something."

"Could be! There isn't much out here to compete with if you're an animal!"

"Well, I'm going to try to get myself unlocked before the Stooges come back." Mick put the left bracelet back on his wrist without locking it shut, then went to work on the right one. It popped in less than thirty seconds, even though he was working with his left hand!

"Good one! Buddy! You did it!" Josef was elated.

"These aren't hard to spring, Josef," Mick said, putting the bracelet back on, but again, being careful not to lock it.

He realized that he wouldn't be able to reach his ankle cuffs until he undid the restraint around his neck, so he felt around for an opening, but couldn't find one.

"Josef—turn your necklace around so I can see where the lock is."

Josef watched as his friend scruitinized his own neck restraint, as he turned it slowly for him, lifting it up so Mick could see all sides of it.

"There! Stop! Let me see where that indentation is." Josef held steady while Mick felt around on his own restraint until he found the spot that felt like the one on Josef's looked. He tried to insert the wire, but had a hard time finding the little hole he sought. After many tries, he turned to Josef.

"Can you see a little tiny hole anywhere on this thing?"

Josef looked at Mick's neck restraint and said, "Rotate it an inch or so. . .yeah, I see it. Right there—no, move your hand up just a quarter inch. You're right on top of it."

Mick smiled at Josef as he felt the wire slip into the lock. He wiggled the wire until he heard the lock spring. "Now we're cookin' with gas!" he said, the elation in his voice hard to miss.

"You did it man! You did it!" Josef beamed at his friend, who flashed a shy little smile back.

"I really think I can get us out of here, Josef!" Mick tried not to sound too excited, but he was quivering with it. Then he looked his friend straight in the eyes, questioning. He knew Coraline was keeping an eagle eye on them, and momentarily he glanced that way. Josef understood and nodded ever so slightly so Mick could see it, but she could not. Mick raised an eyebrow, which Coraline could see, and Josef answered back with a roll of his eyes toward Coraline and Hank and then made just the slightest shake of his head, which told Mick exactly what he had been thinking: He'd get Josef and himself out of here, but would leave the two of them. Mick nodded a quick nod and said, "I'd better put this back on. They could be coming any second."

As soon as he had his neck restraint back in place, looking as though it was holding him, he put the wire behind him and sat on it. Just then, they heard the door crash open and down the stairs came the Two Stooges, as they had begun to refer to them, or sometimes as Mutt and Jeff. Either way, these guys were no longer threatening to any of them. On the other side of them, however, danger lurked as serious as a heart attack.

The shorter, more muscular one, Jeff, said, "Dinnertime for the doggies!" And he waved the bags of blood as if calling his pit bull in for a treat.

"Real funny, asshole," Hank said. Everyone looked at him. They'd all but forgotten he even existed!

"Well, just for that, you get yours last!" Jeff said indignantly as he handed Mick his bag, then Josef, then Coraline, and then stood in front of Hank, hands on hips. "Maybe I don't wanna be givin' ya nothin' come to think."

"You don't think, you fool. Do what you want." Hank leaned back again and closed his eyes, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, it ain't up to me—I got four bags to hand out is all I know. I kinda like the Lady, though." Coraline smiled beguilingly at him and he was smitten. "Here, Lady—have an extra on the old douche bag next to 'ya." He handed Hank's blood to Coraline, turned, nodded to Mutt, and out they went, up the stairs, slamming the infernal door behind them as usual.

Mick and Josef were sucking away at a fast pace. It seemed they could never get enough, even if this blood was from a very cheap source! Probably morgue blood from old corpses.

Coraline sipped slowly, having a hard time swallowing, as usual, but doing so to stay alive. "Here, Josef," she said as she threw Hank's bag of blood over. "I can hardly get my own down, much less an extra one!"

Josef caught the bag mid-air. "Why thank you, Coraline. I owe you one."

"I'll look forward to collecting," she said seductively. Josef was again amazed that she thought she raised any interest in him at all! She may as well be a dead skunk, he was thinking, but he smiled back at her just to play nice.

Josef and Mick finished their feed ration at about the same time. Josef held up the extra one and looked at Mick. "I'll share with you, buddy, if you'll promise to get me out of here."

"Deal."

Josef took the first few gulps, then handed it over to Mick, who did the same. They passed it back and forth until it was gone—about sixty seconds or so was all it took.

Josef sat back and patted his stomach. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think I'm feeling good enough to blow this joint!"

"My thoughts exactly," Mick said as he ripped off the neck and wrist manacles and slid down to unlock his ankles. With two pops in short order, he stood up and stretched. Amazingly, the ceiling on this underground cave or whatever it was seemed very high—maybe fifteen or sixteen feet, which no doubt had helped them all feel cooler during their confinement. Air circulation, though stale, had been enough that they didn't overheat.

Mick went to work on Josef's wrists, then the neck, then the ankles. In about three minutes, Josef stood for the first time in days and gave himself a good, long stretch.

"Man, it feels so good not to be flattening my ass anymore!"

"I hear ya, brother. What do we do now?"

"Wait just a damn minute!" Coraline shouted. "You aren't going to leave me here, are you?"

Josef looked at Mick, who looked back at Josef.

"The thing is, Coraline, if I let you go, I'm afraid you'll try to harm my wife. I can't have you doing anything to hurt Beth." Mick was dead serious, and Coraline knew it. He was so damned protective of that little tramp!

Coraline pouted. "Mick—you know me better than that! I wouldn't hurt your wife!"

"Yeah—like always. You'd never hurt me or Beth. Why don't I believe you?" Huh! Could it be that you've tried to get us both killed before?"

"Oh, Mick, Honey! Remember how I saved you from Lance? I could have let you die then, but I didn't! Just let me go, Mick! I promise I'll get out of your life for good!"

"Yeah, and I'm Brittany Spears! Come on, Josef. Let's go."

As they headed for the stairs, they heard footsteps approaching. They looked at each other, and even in the dark, each could read alarm on the other's face.

The door crashed open again, and this time it wasn't the Stooges, it was a well-dressed man in a $5,000 suit who came down the stairs and entered their prison.

"Well, well!" He said in a nasally voice. "Just what is going on here?"

--


	23. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE –"Home is Where the Heart Is"**

A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic

_  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Coraline and Hank looked at the man who had come to invade their peaceful imprisonment. Coraline tried for a damsel-in-distress look while Hank gave him the once-over and leaned back against the blocks again, watching with his usual disinterest.

The man was thin and tall with graying hair around the temples, but jet black on top. His mustache was black, lips pencil thin, eyes small and cruel-looking, and the black bushy eyebrows made him look somewhat Satanic.

"We seem to be missing a couple of prisoners," he said, stating the obvious.

"They said they had other things to do," Coraline said in a beguiling manner, which didn't seem to affect the man in the least. Hank snorted softly.

"Well, I think you two had better tell us where they went! We've noticed people poking around outside here. Of course they found nothing, but still it concerned me. Don't tell me they have escaped! That's impossible!"

Coraline scoffed at him and said haughtily, "I'd ask the two imbeciles you sent to guard us—they may have some idea!"

He gave the room a once over, then said, "I don't believe you, of course, but for now, I guess I'll have to go and ask them. I'll be back, though, be sure of that."

"Oh, I'll be sure!" Coraline said cheerfully.

He turned, walked up the stairs and slammed the door shut behind him. After several minutes of silence, Josef and Mick floated down from the ceiling.

"Thanks for covering our asses, Coraline," Mick said acerbically.

"Oh, no problem, but you owe me now, Mick. Unlock me."

"What do you think Josef?" Mick asked his friend.

Josef looked directly into Coraline's eyes. "If he lets you out of this, Coraline, I swear, you lay one hand on either Mick or Beth or Sarah, and your head will be extremely lonesome for your neck. Do you understand me?"

"Yes! I get it, Josef! Leave you all alone, and I'll be okay. It's a deal. Now let me go."

"Not so fast—I have one more requirement."

"Name it—it's yours—just let me go, please?" She was getting whiny about it, and Josef hated that.

"Okay, I'll name it—it's called 'The Cure.' I need to be human for six months or so. If we let you go, you give me that much. Is THAT a deal?"

She shrugged unhappily. "What's with all this wanting to be human? Geez, you'd think being a vampire was BAD or something!"

"I'm waiting," Josef said, almost tapping a foot.

"Fine! Now unlock me!"

"State the terms once again, Coraline. I want to be sure we're perfectly clear on this." Josef was being very stern with her and she didn't like it, but what could she do?

"I leave Mick and Beth alone and I give you six months' worth of the cure. Did I get it right?"

"Yeah. And one violation means what?"

"You kill me."

Josef looked at Mick. "I think she's got it. Let's just hope she still remembers ten minutes from now!"

"So you want me to unlock her?" Mick asked, exhaling and rubbing a hand over his face.

Josef was still looking at his friend. "It's your call, buddy, but I'd say we owe her that much, and I'll keep my men looking out for her. I swear, if she comes within a block of you and Beth, she's dead." He turned to Coraline. "Did you hear that? I MEAN it Coraline, and you know I never go back on my threats! In fact, I'd find it so entertaining to see you die that I'd probably throw you into the tar pits myself!"

"I GET IT! Okay? I understand! Just let me out of here!"

Mick looked once again at Josef. "You know we're going to live to regret this."

"I know—but then, she'll be dead, and we can celebrate with a fine single malt and a Cuban cigar, so what do we care?"

"True." Mick slowly approached Coraline and bent to unlock all of her restraints. When she was free, she jumped up and hugged him. "I'll never make you sorry, Mick! Go—be happy!"

"You too, Coraline, with the emphasis on GO!" Mick said with a hint of concern.

They all walked up the stairs and out of the door, leaving Hank behind to fend for himself. Josef and Mick quickly disappeared into the shadows of the night, and Coraline watched, then went off on her own.

Mick and Josef hailed the first cab they saw and took it to Josef's place. Sarah was home, and jumped enthusiastically into his arms as soon as he was inside the door. He took the time to kiss her thoroughly and hug her, then set her down and sent her out to the cab with money so Mick could pay the fare at his end. She hugged Mick and welcomed him back, then waved as the cab pulled away and scampered back to Josef.

"He says to call him tomorrow, Josef. I think he doesn't want to be bothered for the rest of the night."

"A man who understands his priorities," Josef said as he bent to kiss Sarah. That done, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. "Oh, but one priority of mine is to have a shower!"

She touched his face. "I'll be waiting under the covers for you!"

Josef hurried, throwing the hideous clothes in a heap and dousing himself with warm water.

Mick tapped the cabbie on the shoulder and told him his address.

Getting into a security building without keys or fob leaves only one alternative, so Mick pushed the button that rang in their apartment, and in a moment the buzzer opened the door for him. He took the elevator up to their floor, and she was waiting as the doors slid open. She ran into the elevator and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him--more than kissing him--she was plastering kisses all over his face, and hugging him while she jumped up and down! He finally caught her arms and planted one on her that was serious enough to settle her down.

They kissed hungrily, like starving survivors of some terrible Holocaust, thankful to be in each other's arms again at last, unable to kiss hard enough or deep enough to satisfy the need raging in them. Mick tasted her sweetness, open-mouthed, nipping and nibbling then pressing closer for a full-on, nothing held back, honest make-out kiss. He loved that she returned every thrust of his tongue with one of her own. They kissed desperately, yet also conveyed their utter relief at being in each other's arms once again.

She pulled back and looked at him, long and searching, her eyes drinking in the beauty of the face she had seen every night in her dreams, the face she adored, the face that looked back at her now, seeing in her all of the pain and yearning she had endured, noticing the dark smudges of lost sleep beneath her beautiful eyes. He was really here! She couldn't believe it!

"Beth!" It was all he could say—he was choked with emotion.

She stood on her toes and and took his mouth as he bent to taste her soft lips once more. Kissing her deeply afforded him a view of how her life had been without him, and he saw clearly how she had ached for him as he had for her. They continued their kisses, urgent and wet, and he noticed that she was pounding him lightly on the chest with her open palms. He immediately understood that it was her way of assuring herself that he was truly here with her at last, in the flesh, solid and strong beneath her hands.

"Ohmigod, MICK!" She was practically pulling him over, bending him down to the level of her lips, and he reached out and quickly pulled on the elevator's emergency stop button, shutting them safely inside, blissfully and finally alone. He swiftly rucked up her long skirt, desperate to get to her, finding her ready for him.

"Ah, Beth! No panties!" he said huskily as he cupped her, hot and wet. Later, he would bury his face in the downy softness there, but for now, his need was more urgent than that. No time for fun and games.

"I had faith you'd come home today," she whispered as she deftly unbuckled his belt, then pulled the zipper of his fly down, pulling his jeans down to his knees. He pressed her into the corner of the elevator and picked her legs up, one in each hand, and with one well-aimed thrust, was deep inside of her, home at last!

She moaned out loud and pulled his face to hers again, and they kissed wild kisses of need and urgency, as he slammed her again and again against the wall of the elevator. This being an act more of desperation, raw need and raging hunger than tenderness, it was hot and fast, and it didn't take either one of them long to reach the point of no return. As she caught her breath and cried out, he held her firmly, hands under her bottom, watching her as she came, loving the look of her face in the throes of the passion he had incited in her, and as he watched, she pulled him over the edge with her. He tipped his head back, groaning with blessed release. He stopped for only a moment to catch his breath, then continued his loving assault on her, pushing into her, hard, pulling back, and then plunging again, forcefully, inexorably, feeling her quivering and squeezing him as her own pleasure peaked again and again. She couldn't help the cries that escaped her before his mouth came down once again on hers, crushing her lips with his own, claiming her with his tongue, sucking her very breath from her, stifling her screams of passion and release with his open mouth as he, himself, shook with the last shudders of his own bone-jarring climax.

When it was over, he felt her go limp, her head flopping onto his shoulder, and as he moved his arms up to hold her, she buried her face in his chest and cried.

He held her as she shook in his arms, feeling her let go of some of her pent up terror, smelling the fear and painful loneliness she had endured, making him cherish her even more as he wondered how ever to comfort her, but then remembering that this was the way back to sanity for her. For them, the act of loving was so much more than sex; it was healing and life-giving and as essential to them as shelter and nourishment. He wondered how he could ever reassure her that he wouldn't leave her again when he knew danger still lurked somewhere, but today was about reunion, and for now, he let her cry and hold him as he clung tightly to her, finding solace in her tears that washed him, and in her body which held him tightly inside of her still.

"Mick! I was so afraid I'd lost you!" she sobbed into his shirt, wetting and matting the hair on his chest.

"Ah, sweetheart, you'll never lose me! Never!" His words were filled with resolve—he'd die fighting to stay with her. Instinctively, he began to gently push himself back and forth inside of her again as he kissed her mouth, her tears, then her neck, and found himself pulling her top up, almost without thought, intent on having all of her, following the primal instinct that drove him inside of her as he fondled and gently suckled each swollen nipple. Sucking, kneading, laving, pulling at each nib lightly with his teeth, then taking as much of her into his mouth as he could, he reacted physically to her sighs and whimpers of pleasure, thrusting with even more intensity.

Her breasts were so sensitive from the pregnancy, and she loved that he knew exactly how to pleasure her gently when necessary. In fact, she thought, he knew her body better than she did, and he always managed to drive her to near insanity with his innate understanding of what she needed. Her sighs and sobs drove him on and on, and as he feasted on her breasts, he kept moving rhythmically inside of her until she was past reason, past thought, clinging to him, her life raft in a sea of pure, unadulterated bliss.

Mick stopped for a moment and looked at her, face moist with exertion. "Are you okay, honey? I don't want to hurt you—I'm having a hard time with control here." His voice came out in choppy breaths, and it thrilled her to know she could make him feel this way.

She laughed softly, breathing unevenly, looked into his eyes and shook her head. "You can't hurt me, Mick. I need you so badly, I don't think you could do anything to hurt me. Just love me, please." She sighed and laid her head back against the elevator wall. "Love me, Mick."

Holding onto each other tightly, they began once again to pick up the beat as they rocked together in celebration of hope, relief and the sheer joy of being able to have each other again! She pulled him in closer with her legs around his back, and welcomed his invasion, meeting him thrust for thrust as they joined body and soul, feeling the swell of intense pleasure come for them again until together they rode the tidal wave of pure bodily delight, melding once more, one into the other, two becoming one, and just for a moment held the illusion that nothing could ever again tear them apart.

As both of them came back to earth, they held each other close, breathing in each other's breath, he feeling her heart pounding for him, she feeling his lips caress her over and over.

Mick touched her cheek lightly while gazing into her eyes which were swimming with love for him. He laid his head on her breast and held back tears that threatened. He knew how she feared for his safety, and wanted so much to reassure her. Their suffering during his absence had been a brutal reminder of how desperately they needed each other.

"Never leave me again, Mick!" she cried, shaking his shoulders.

He kissed her fiercely, and breathed into her mouth, "NEVER!"

He held her, unable to let go, unable to even disengage, desperate to keep her this close to him always! He covered her face with kisses, nibbled at her lips, and they both calmed down in the aftermath of their fierce coupling. When they could breathe normally again, she smiled at him through her tears.

"Welcome home, Mick."

That's when he lost it and felt the tears well up in his own eyes, tears not shed in so many days' confinement, while physically hurting from wanting her.

"It's good to be home." He hugged her tightly, then reluctantly pulled himself out of her, helping her feet down to the floor, her skirt still bunched around her waist, but they wrapped their arms firmly around each other, enjoying the full-body contact, and clung, never wanting to let go. They could have stayed there for a while, but the harsh noise of the call buzzer went off above their heads, interrupting their reverie.

Mick bent to pull up his jeans. Beth untwisted her skirt, and it fell down to her ankles with one quick shake.

Mick caught her gaze and said aloud what they both knew: "We're not done yet—how about if we head for our bed and continue this?"

"You read my mind!" Her smile was so full of joy that he had to smile back.

Unable to tear his gaze from hers, he pushed the "stop" button back in by feel, heard the doors open, then picked her up, and strode purposefully into their apartment, stopping only for a second to kick the door shut behind them. He carried her to the bedroom and put her on the bed, looking at her with such love and longing that she felt the raw ache and need begin all over again inside of her.

"You're really here, Mick! Oh, honey! I prayed so hard for you!" She sounded breathless and thankful.

"I know—your prayers are what saved me! I'll tell you all about it later, but right now, I really need a shower!" He was peeling off his rank prison clothing, throwing it in a pile, as she pulled off her top and skirt, and in secons they were naked. He took her hand and led her to their big, new shower where he turned on all of the various shower heads and water spouts, making sure the water was very warm for her. She moved toward him, and he said, "Let me get the prison dirt off of me before I love you again, Beth."

"Let me help you with that," she said, taking shampoo into her hand and massaging his head as he bent toward her, groaning in pleasure as her fingers and fingernails worked their magic over his scalp, unfrazzling him in a way that was hers alone. He rinsed his hair off under the powerful rain spout and washed his face, while she got busy soaping him up and down, lifting his arms to lather him there where his hair grew thick, then running the bar across his broad chest and down to his navel, moving around him to scrub his back, using her nails to scratch his skin and then using her palms to rub the soap into his pores. She did the same with his butt, and he moaned out loud, putting an arm out against the wall to steady himself, feeling her massaging his glutes, stiff from the hard prison floor, and then breathing hard as he felt her running her nails over the skin of his bottom until gooseflesh popped out. He shivered once with pleasure.

"Ahhh, that feels so great!" It was half spoken, half groaned, and it spurred her on, knowing she was pleasing him.

She then turned him around and began her work again, massaging as she soaped him in front; he needed her touch there so badly that he shivered again as she continued to wash him. The rain was pounding down on both of them, warm and soothing as she ran the bar down his legs, then washed his feet, even between his toes.

She set the bar of soap on the floor after gathering a huge cloud of lather from it, and she then began a slippery ascent up one of his legs with both hands, ending at the point of his inner thighs, pushing one hand between his legs and pressing her fingers firmly into the flesh behind his scrotum. She stopped there and looked up at him, noticing that he was now holding his breath; he was also holding onto one of the soap brackets, as if the pleasure might overcome him and he felt the need to steady himself. Her right hand was still soapy, and she ran it slowly back up behind his scrotum, continuing a slippery journey up between his cheeks, pressing lightly as she slid her fingers all the way to the top where his lower back met her hand. He shivered again and began to ache with need; this was terribly erotic and he was surprised and delighted at her ingenuity and total command of his body.

She continued, seeing his gratification, this time starting at the top of the crevice, and beginning a slow, sliding descent with her fingers, which caressed him in a surprising, slippery fantasy kind of way that had his stomach in a knot of agony and ecstasy.

Seeing him reacting with such obvious enjoyment caused her to begin again, ascending from the bottom up, then back down again. While her other hand held his scrotum, gently kneading him, she repeated the motion up and down his backside several more times, sliding over and back, up and down, touching him more intimately than he'd ever been touched before, her fingers daring to caress him at the tender point of his most hidden place. He moaned out loud.

"Ah! This pleases you my love?" she asked in a low, sultry voice.

"Omigod—nobody has ever done that to me!" His breath was choppy and his face was contorted.

She laughed softly, looking up at him and he looked down at her, his eyes penetrating, swimming with arousal and surprise.

"You mean I found virgin territory on Mick St. John? The perpetually cool vampire?"

He nodded, saying breathlessly, "You did. You have gone where nobody has dared go before."

Still holding his heavy jewels in one hand, she brought her other hand around to the front to caress him,grabbing him firmly, pulling and pumping until he thought he could take no more.

"OmiGOD!" he shouted as he held on tightly to the raining shower head above him to keep his balance, and slowly he felt himself let go of every inhibition and let her have him completely. In her hands he was safe and, in this case, thrilled beyond words. She was some kind of sexual savant he thought briefly, as he came easily under her touch.

Soon a warm spray of water hit him, waking him from his state of bliss.

"So, you're telling me the truth? I've actually found a way to pleasure you that's new?"

"Oh, yeah. Omigod, Beth. I don't know where you got your skills, but I'm grateful."

"Hah!" she laughed. "My sexual experiences have been very few compared to yours, my seductive vampire lover! But I'm terribly honored to be the first at something!"

He muttered under his breath, something about first at everything, but she was busy now with the handy pull-out showerhead sprayer. She slowly sprayed every inch of his body, inside and out, from his neck to his feet, turning him around, watching the suds slide down his gorgeous form and swirl as they were sucked into the drain.

When he was clear of suds, she knelt in front of him, eyeing hungrily the object of her desire. She then put her arms around him grasping his cheeks, one in each hand, allowing her fingers to stray just slightly inside into the hidden place, and then she heard him gasp as she pulled him forward into her mouth, accepting as much of his very long, very hard, erection as she could reasonably swallow, lightly pinching and squeezing him from behind as she pulled and pushed him in and out of her mouth, slightly grazing him with her teeth now and then, paying homage to him in the most intimate of ways, and as he gave himself over to her ministrations, he at last let go of the lingering vestiges of terror that had haunted him, imagining everything bad going down the drain, while he found solace and delight in the mouth and hands of his wife.

Logan and Ben Talbot had been in contact every day for several days.

"We went out there, Logan, but we couldn't find anything but old outbuildings and weeds and overgrown brush! There was no place above ground that we didn't look. However, I had a lead from someone who used to work on "The X-Files," and there is a sort of bunker out there, or a cave of some kind that they used for one or two shoots. We saw no evidence of it, but it's possible that it's overgrown now."

"I'm telling you, man, it's where they are—I just have a feeling. And there's been too many people wandering around out there. Wait a sec—I just backed my recorder up a couple of hours. I took a break a while ago—let me look and see if anything happened while I was gone."

Ben knew it would take him only a minute with his vampire visual abilities, so he simply waited on the other end of the line.

"Whoa! Got something! A man, not the two who usually go out there, but somebody in a dress suit showed up at the same place."

"So he's at the same coordinates you gave me a few days ago, and we found nothing there."

"Right-O. He disappears, and get this—he comes back out, disappears, and a minute or two later, I see three vampires fleeing the scene! Three!"

"Can you tell which vampires they are?"

"I'm backing up one more time. Yeah. I know who they are. Can I trust you if I tell you?"

"You can. I'm on your side, Logan. I don't want Josef or Mick harmed in any way."

"Well, you didn't say Coraline, and she's one of them."

"My only concern with her is that she stays away from Beth. Otherwise, I don't care. Who are the other two?"

"Josef and Mick. They go off into the trees first, then Coraline comes along. I'd say Mick and Josef probably hopped a cab and got home. Who knows where Crazy Cora is?"

"Thanks a lot, Logan. I'm going to have teams watching Josef and Mick in case anyone tries to get to them again."

"I feel better already! I'm going to stop watching this satellite feed constantly now, but I'll leave it recording. Who knows—maybe some other crazy stuff is still going on out there!"

"I really appreciate your help, Logan. I'll be in touch. Call if you notice anything untoward."

"Will do. 'Bye."

Ben walked over to his window and looked out. The lights of the city were shining in the black backdrop of night. Another lonely night ahead, and all he could think of now was that Beth was getting her happy reunion with her husband. God! He hoped that guy loved her! Beth pregnant! His feelings for her, though, made him hope she was right about him, because above all else, he wanted her safe.

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and finger. As much as he hated the thought of her being with St. John, he loved her enough to let them be. He loved her enough to watch out for both her and the man she had married. In fact, he loved her enough to let her go. His mind told him that, but his heart wasn't yet ready to accept what his mind knew was right.

Josef and Sarah spent several hours catching up on things as they lounged on their satin sheets, talking about her new friendship with Beth, talking about Josef's captivity, Mick's brush with death, and in between topics, enjoying a lot of sex. Josef was happy to hear that she was looking forward to having a baby like Beth was, and he couldn't help the meandering of his thoughts as he pictured himself planting his seed deep inside of her. Every time he saw that picture, it gave him a blue-steel boner, but Sarah was oblivious, chatting away, happy to be in bed with him, but happier still to have someone to talk to!

He focused once again on their one-sided conversation. Beth, it seemed, was extremely happy to be having Mick's child, and Sarah confided that she couldn't wait to be a mother herself, and wondered if he'd been able to track down any leads on the cure while he was imprisoned.

He took her hand in his and looked at it. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I got Coraline's word that she would give me enough of this cure to stay human for six months. I'm hoping that's long enough to make a baby."

Sarah hoped so too, but said, "That's such good news! Honey—how soon can you get this cure?"

He scrutinized her but saw nothing in her that wasn't completely enthusiastic about this plan. "So—you're sure you wouldn't mind having my baby Sarah?" He looked her straight in the eyes, and saw them smiling, just as her mouth was.

"I want to have your baby, Josef. I want it very badly! I've always hoped to be a mother, and I think you would make the BEST daddy in the world!"

"Wow! I'm flattered!" He smiled at her enthusiasm. "It's no small undertaking, you know, raising a child."

"Oh, Beth and I talked about all of the ups and downs of pregnancy, and once that's over, we just be parents! I can do this! I want to do it for you, Char. . .Josef!"

All the talk about getting pregnant only made Josef more and more horny, and by dawn, he was actually exhausted and ready to sleep many hours uninterrupted in his freezer! He told Sarah he'd take her to any doctor she wanted to get a prescription to help her stop smoking, but she said she had already gotten patches at the pharmacy like Beth told her to, and showed him that she was wearing one now.

"Good for you, honey! I'm glad you and Beth had so much time to talk! Sounds like you got some very good advice from her! She's a very smart lady!"

"Oh, I know! We had a good time, but it will be better next time we get together because we won't be all worried and crying about you and Mick!"

"Aw, Sarah! I'm touched!" he said as he her brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "I've never made a girl cry before, except maybe in bed!"

Sarah hit him. "Don't you be bragging to me about all of your conquests now, Mister! Those are over! From now on, it's me! And I am going to make you so happy you'll forget all the rest!"

"I have no doubt about that, my angel," he said, rolling onto his side and kissing her deeply as he fondled her breast. "Maybe I'll get to the freezer a little bit late today."

"Mmmmmm." she murmured against his lips, "maybe you will!"

Hank still sat alone in the dark, wondering if anyone would even remember he was there. The door slammed open again, and down the stairs came the man in the suit, followed by Mutt and Jeff.

The suited one shouted in surprise, "WHAT! Now we're down to ONE? What in the hell happened to your girlfriend?"

"She decided to leave too. I guess your restraints aren't all that difficult for crafty vampires to escape. I'm new, though, so I can't get out of mine."

The suit looked at the Two Stooges. "Do you have ANY idea HOW this happened?"

They looked at each other, then shrugged at him. The tall one spoke, "We ain't got no idea, Mister. No idea at all. They was here the last time we fed 'em, which was about six or so, and now they ain't here no more."

"Very profound." He turned on his heel. "Follow me. We'll have to deal with you two somehow."

Logan happened to be watching the satellite feed as he was looking up things on the 'net. He saw the suit and the two villiage idiots come and go and wondered what that was about. He called Ben, but only got voice mail, so he left a message about what he had just seen. Then he decided it was time for some Guitar Hero.

Mick held Beth in their usual spoon position after hours of purposeful love making. Like always, they could never find a state of complete satisfaction. The crazy thing was that no matter how long or how often they made love, they always craved more. It was a serious phenomenon that they didn't understand, and couldn't tell anyone, fearing they'd be thought dangerously unbalanced, if not just terribly over-sexed!

"Do you think we miss the biting? Is that why we have to do it all of the time? We're trying to make up for that?" she asked him in all sincerity.

He thought for a minute, playing with her hair. "Honestly? To me it doesn't matter anymore. The biting, I mean."

"But I thought you were wanting to bite me in the elevator today—you said you were losing control."

"I was, but just because I was so desperately wanting you. We aren't like other people, Beth! We need to be intimate pretty often or we get kind of—out of control, I think. I see it in you too!"

"Well, you're right there. I don't know what I'd have done to you if you hadn't just done what you did today! I get really desperate without you, Mick. I WAS really desperate!"

"I know—I can tell when you feel that way--I'm exactly the same, but it's not 'vampire' sex I'm sharing with you, Beth. It's—hard to explain—it's more pure—more loving than just 'getting off.' I really don't want to bite you! I just want to be deep inside of you forever."

"Is that love? Or is that fear of never having what you really want or need?"

"It's definitely love. I'm not afraid I'm going to bite you or turn you anymore, and I'm really not missing biting you!"

She gave him a skeptical look.

"I'm telling you the truth! That biting thing was fun when we first were together, and I wasn't used to how we made love, and then I started to feel how deeply we were loving each other whenever we had sex, and now I just want it always—the way we are together, it's so amazing. Beth, I never thought I could feel so completely in tune with anyone, body and soul, and somehow the biting doesn't fit into the way I want to make love to you. I want it to be more than just crazy vamp sex."

"I understand that, Mick. Thanks for being so honest. I sometimes worry that with the baby and being afraid of hurting us, that it's not good for you."

He sat up behind her and turned her around so he could look into her eyes. "See what's in my eyes, Beth," he said, and she saw such terrifying love in his eyes that she drew in her breath. "This is how I feel about you. There has never been anyone else for me—and there never will be anyone else who can make me feel the way you do. My God—after what you did to me in the shower today? Have no doubt that this is the BEST sex I've EVER had—EVER!"

She smiled. "I guess I can see that," she said softly. "It's the same for me."

"I know. I know it every time I'm around you. You're drawn to me like I am to you, like we're two opposite poles of a magnet, and when we're near each other, we can't deny the pull." He settled back down behind her. "This is it, Beth. I can't imagine not having this love with me forever."

"I want to be with you forever, Mick! I don't ever want to leave you!"

"I know, honey. We have a lot of time to decide that, you know." They were quiet for a long time.

"This is what I missed the most," she said softly as she played with his fingers.

"Me holding you?" he whispered as he breathed in the scent of her, the sweet aroma of their lovemaking, the smell of her blood pulsing strongly within her, listening to the beat of her heart and even more amazing, the beat of the tiny heart deep inside her.

"Uh-huh. Just being close, safe in your arms." She nestled in closer and he held her tightly. Soon he felt her nod off into a much-needed peaceful sleep.

Holding her like this, in the calm after the many storms of passion, Mick felt overwhelmed with emotion, and as it grew, he felt something buried deep inside of him come loose—something he had held within him for so long that it was simply part of him, a cold, icy thing that he'd grown so used to that he didn't even remember it was there, and he didn't realize until now what a hold it had had on him. After it broke away, he felt it begin to disintegrate into tiny particles that melted, slowly becoming warm fingers of hope and contentment that spread all through him. He felt new without the cold, hard thing in him, and for the first time in years, was in such a state of blissful peace that he fell sound asleep next to her, so sound that he dreamed vividly—visions of holding a baby on his lap as he had his morning coffee and ate a donut! He saw himself with Beth, and they were sharing dinner, then having a picnic where she fed him strawberries on a blanket in the sand. He even dreamed of sex—the kind of sex that would get Beth pregnant again!

He awoke for only a moment, startled, remembering his dreams. As a vampire, he had never dreamed during sleep—until now—and in this fantasy trip his subconscious had just taken, he realized, he had dreamed he was human.

Not wanting the freezer as much as he wanted her next to him, he fell asleep again, dreaming dreams of growing old.

When he woke, the sun was just beginning its ascent onto day. Beth had turned over so her face rested against his chest. Her breathing was slow and even, as was her heartbeat, and he knew she slept deeply. He dared not move, but watched her slumber, feeling her breath on his skin, and once again the most powerful surge of love flooded through him, so profound and so swift that it made his eyes sting. He knew he had never been this happy, not before he was turned and certainly not after, but it was startlingly apparent once again that he had achieved what others only wish for: perfect peace and contentment, right here, right now. In his arms he held his family, and it was all he had ever wanted, all he ever would want, and nothing or nobody could take him away from them!

She nestled further into him and made little purring sounds as she began to wake up. He brushed his hand over her silky hair.

"I love you, Mick St. John," she said, voice husky with sleep. "I love you with all of my heart." She moved her head back to gaze deeply into his eyes, allowing him to search the depths of her, finding truth in every word she had spoken, not knowing she had one more thing to add: "I will love you until my last breath, and I will never, ever assume again that we have all the time in the world."

She put her head back against his chest, and Mick cradled it with the palm of his hand. No, nothing would ever take him away from them again; nothing but death.  
--


	24. Chapter 24

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – "100 Years, More or Less"**

The next day, there was a knock at the door. Mick and Beth had decided to hole up in their little Fort Knox until they had a plan to keep both of them safe from the threats outside of their door.

Beth jumped at the sound, and in a second, Mick was at the door, looking at the monitor. It was Ben Talbot. He opened the door and motioned the man inside. Ben walked into their reinforced bunker, no windows visible, no possible port of entry except the doors, which were nearly impervious to any attempt at a break-in.

Mick ushered him to the couch and Beth came and sat down in the circle.

"So, Talbot," Mick asked, "Have you found anything out yet?" He was sitting forward on the chair, showing some anxiety over what Talbot knew about their dangerous situation, and figured the man wouldn't be here on a Sunday morning if something new hadn't come up!

"Actually, I have. That's why I'm here." He looked at both of them and felt their concern. He also noticed that they looked a little disheveled. Even Mick, who normally looked the same no matter what time of day or night you caught him, had shadows under his eyes, and looked as if he needed a good meal. Ben supposed it could be from his imprisonment, but Beth looked absolutely and thoroughly ravished! Her hair, though combed, was wild, as if she had slept on it wet, and her lips were so swollen he wondered if she'd had collagen injections. He thought not. She also sported a pretty raw-looking whisker burn around her mouth and on her cheeks, visible because she wore no makeup that Ben could see. Even so, she looked more beautiful than ever, as if she had just awakened in the arms of her lover.

Oh man! He needed to get a hold of his thoughts! At least she was dressed! He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, but waking with Beth in his arms, looking like she did. . .any mortal man would be roused with that thought!

"So are you going to tell us what you know, Ben?" she asked logically, jarring him back to reality.

He cleared his throat and swallowed the lump down there. "Well, apparently this abduction was not sanctioned by the Legion. It was done by a faction that considers itself to be an authority, but It's not officially part of the Legion. This group broke off a few years ago and now have their own radical organization, but their aim is to become a 'branch' of the Legion—they want to be the ones in charge of bringing in the criminals, and this stunt was to try to prove that they could do the job. Apparently they decided on their own to gather up as many people on the List as they could, with the intent to put you through some sort of inquisition and sentence you to who knows what! It's a good thing you escaped! I guess they thought this abduction would impress the powerful people enough to hire them as the Legion 'police,' if you want to try to put them in a category. I think all they've done is prove how inadequate they are function in any capacity for the Legion. I hear the Legion is very upset with them."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that! I didn't think the Legion would be so unprofessional that they'd nearly kill me before they got me into custody! I mean, I was about as close to death as it's possible to be and still come back from it! They almost killed me without any inquisition!" Beth reached for his hand and he caught hers in his. Ben tried not to look at the small gesture of love and caring.

"I know. I heard all about that. I'm really glad you and Josef got out okay. I've made it clear to the Legion that they, and any off-shoot group of theirs, do not have the right to abduct citizens of our community, and that if I find any untoward activity going on, they will be reprimanded by the justice system. I think they get it, and they are being cooperative—they assure me they'll take care of these perpetrators in their own way."

"But Josef and I are still on this "list," and I don't know what that means for me in the long run!" Mick was obviously concerned.

"I think I do. They usually convene a Tribunal once a year, as you know." Mick nodded. He had been to those meetings, and his stomach grew a knot when he thought about some of the things he had seen.

Ben continued, "This year, the meeting will take place in January on the night of the full moon—I believe that's January 26 of 2009. They will send out notices to the people on the list who will be summoned to their assembly, and they will question you and allow you to answer their inquiries."

"Well, that still worries me—I'm not sure what they have on me to complain about." Mick looked at Beth and she wore a look of fear. He squeezed her hand. "At least we have until January to go about our business as usual. Can we modify our reinforced bunker here so we get to have windows again?"

"That would be my advice. Go about your lives as normally as possible for now—January—well—we'll have to see what happens. Oh—I was also told that for this yearly Tribunal, there would be a person of high ranking to oversee the entire meeting. I have no idea who they mean, but they are convinced this is a, um, person--who is old, wise and able to handle any problems in your, um, Vampire Nation, I guess they call it."

"I hope you're right, Mick said quietly." 'January,' he thought. Well, by that time, the baby should be almost here. His priority was to keep Beth and his baby safe, and if he had to leave them in January, he would have almost completed his job.

"Well, that's about it. I'm looking forward to having Beth back at work again. Tomorrow is Monday and I was hoping you'd feel up to coming back." He looked at her with an uncharacteristically tender look, and Mick picked up on it.

"I'll see that she gets there—as long as you see that she's safe at your office, Talbot. I'm counting on you to watch her when I can't. You haven't seen or heard a thing about Coraline, I take it?"

"Not one thing, I'm sorry to say."

"She's the threat to Beth. I don't worry about the Legion as far as she's concerned, and I'll take care of myself. I can't let Coraline near her, though. If it's at all possible she could get to Beth, then I'm afraid she won't be coming back to work after all."

Ben looked at Mick a little defensively. "I'll see that she's safe. I'll arrange for extra security for her, and we do have monitors in every corner of the building. I'll distribute Coraline's picture to all of the security people--they're reliable—they'll see her if she comes near the office."

Mick nodded and shook his hand. "Thanks, man. I know you'll take all the precautions you need to keep her safe."

"You can count on it." Ben nodded at Beth. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Mick put a call in to the security people to have reinforcements installed on all of the windows and to make the balcony entrance inaccessible to anyone outside unless they knew the code to enter. He wanted heavier locks and more cameras hidden around the building, inside and out. Completing his business, it was now time for pleasure!

It was relaxing to be at the stove making breakfast again. He and Beth talked about Josef and Sarah.

"If Coraline doesn't show up, Josef isn't going to get his wish, is he?"

"I'd hate to be Coraline if she doesn't come through! After all, we could have just as well left her in that hole to rot! It's really important to Josef to get the cure, and that's the ONLY reason I let her out of the restraints. Believe me, I'd have been more than happy to leave her down there!"

"Josef must understand how hard it was for you to let her loose."

"Oh, he knows. He put the fear of death in her, but she's so unstable that she might not take him seriously. Maybe she doesn't know him like I do. I hope she does—if she does, she knows he won't hesitate to kill her!"

"I wish we didn't have to worry about her any more, Mick. I just want to be happy and look forward to the baby and not be afraid all of the time. Now--I'm not so afraid you'll be taken again anytime soon, but I sure am afraid of what Coraline will do once she finds out I'm pregnant! She'll certainly want to kill me then!"

"Oh, honey! Put it out of your mind! Let's go about life as normal! There are so many people looking for her right now that she's probably back in Europe hiding."

Beth sighed. "I sure hope so! I mean, I'd be happy for Josef if he could have the child he wants so much, but I sure don't want to hear she's anywhere near us!"

"I know," Mick said placing a steaming ham and cheese omelet in front of Beth. "We'll just have to see what happens, but you have to trust me to look out for you. I'd never let you get hurt."

--

The week passed uneventfully, and work was actually helping Beth pass the time she would normally spend worrying. Mick had several cases to investigate, and tried to be around in the evenings after he brought Beth home from her office, staying with her until she was asleep, then working as much during the night hours as he could. He had to admit, he did miss having Beth along on some of his cases, even though he had always been one to work alone! Her mind was quick and agile, and he enjoyed the insights she brought to cases where he was stumped. She didn't mind legwork, and could do that better in daylight hours than he could. He was tempted to make her a job offer and wondered if she'd take him up on it.

Saturday, September 6. At dawn, Mick showered as usual and slipped into bed with Beth, snuggling up behind her, putting his hand on her belly, which had literally popped overnight a few days ago. She now looked, as she said, "pregnant instead of just fat." Of course to him she didn't look anything but beautiful, but the belly was definitely making itself known. She was at sixteen weeks, and he hoped the ultrasound would be done soon. He was very eager to see the baby!

She placed her hand over his, still sleeping, but it was the familiar position they took up every morning. He was perfectly still and perfectly contented, listening to her breathing, listening to her heart beating at about half the rate of the baby's heartbeat, which grew stronger by the day. She moved only slightly, sighing and pushing her bottom into the little space near his groin where her butt seem to fit perfectly. He immediately felt himself growing rigid from the contact and tried to distract his brain by thinking about work.

Her shoulders shook as she giggled. "Somebody has a woody!"

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "And somebody put her butt right there to give me one!"

"Sorry, but where you're concerned, I just can't always be a good girl."

He grabbed her around the waist and turned her to him, looking at her sleep-glazed eyes. "I'm so thankful you're bad sometimes." He smiled and she smiled back.

"I'm really getting pretty big here! How can you still want to, ah, do it with a fatty like me?"

He jumped on top of her and pinned her down onto her back, his hands on her hands, his body covering hers. "Sweetie, I don't care if you weighed four hundred pounds, I'd still want to have my way with you."

"Oh really! I could crush you if I were that big!"

"I doubt it, but go ahead and try." He lay on top of her, his face an inch from hers. He was pressing on her bladder a little, but the urge to pee had gotten somewhat better with the sixteen-week mark. His lovely body pressed against hers in a comfortable, yet sexually arousing way, and she contemplated turning the tables on him, flipping him onto his back and straddling him, having HER way with him! As she was thinking of doing that, she felt something flutter inside of her and she inhaled sharply. He started to get off of her, but she put her hand on his arm to hold him there.

"I can feel the baby moving, Mick!" They both were very still, and she felt it again. The tiny butterfly wings were tickling the inside of her womb! "It's swimming around in me and I can feel it Mick! Our baby!"

"Oh, honey! That's beautiful!" He smiled tenderly and smoothed her hair back, watching her face react every time she felt movement.

"It's probably because you're pressing down on me—I've never felt it before! I've been waiting and waiting!"

"I'm ecstatically happy! I love you! You are the BEST mommy!"

His eyes stared straight into hers and they glowed with happiness.

She pulled his head to hers and kissed him. "I need to get up and pee and brush my teeth, and then I want to come back and have you show me exactly how you put this baby in my belly."

"Hey, that's a deal! Hurry up!"

--

She sped off to the bathroom and Mick rolled onto his back. This life he was living was an absolute miracle, and he almost pinched himself every day wondering if it was all a dream.

Dr. Mineo was happy to see them again when they came in for Beth's next appointment.

"How is my miracle baby doing! Hi Mick!" he shook Mick's hand. "Hello Beth! It's great to see you! So tell me how things are going!"

They each sat in a comfy chair in front of his desk and looked at each other and broke into huge smiles.

"I can feel the baby moving!" Beth's eyes told him how excited she was.

"Excellent! Right on time! Maybe even a tiny bit early for a first pregnancy! Tell me about it—when did you first feel it move?"

They looked at each other again and laughed, fidgeting in their chairs like kids in the principal's office, and their mirth caused Dr. Mineo to start laughing too. Beth blushed slightly as she said, "Well, it was about a week ago, early in the morning, and he—" she nodded at Mick, who wore a devilish grin, "was lying on top of me, and I think the pressure from his weight probably helped me feel it. Since then, now that I know how it feels, I've been aware of it mostly at night, when we're sitting and watching TV or talking. When I'm just quiet, it seems to want to say hello."

"I'm thrilled for you! It's a wonderful thing—and soon—the baby will be big enough for you to feel too, Daddy! Just you wait!"

"I can hardly wait! I'm just happy Beth can feel it for now—it makes it even more real."

"Well of course it does! Every week now will probably make it seem more real. Up to now, you kind of had to take my word on it, right?" He looked at Beth, and she was nodding. "Now—you have your own evidence!"

"Exactly, doctor." Mick looked at him earnestly and said, "I've been really eager for that ultrasound too. I was wondering if you were going to schedule that soon."

"I think we can schedule it for this week if you like! After I've done my exam here, I'll have you stop at the desk and set that up, okay?"

Mick leaned back in his chair. "That's great, doctor. Thanks."

"Any concerns? Questions?"

They both shook their heads no, but then Mick held up his hand and said, "Just one, Doctor—will the sex of the baby be evident on the ultrasound?"

"It might be—you may ask the tech to look for you, if you like. . .you already know the sex, though, don't you?"

Mick looked at Beth, who had her mouth in an "O" of surprise. "I do, but I wondered if Beth could find out."

"Maybe I don't want to know yet, Mick! And why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"I thought maybe you'd find out soon on the ultrasound anyway—no point getting you all mad at me."

"I'm not mad! I just. . ."

"Beth, he's a vampire. He can tell from the way you smell. It's no big deal—you can choose to know or not. He can't help what he knows." Dr. Mineo was matter-of-fact, and Beth couldn't argue. Vampires! Was there anything he didn't know?

She looked at Mick sideways. "I guess."

"You think about it and decide—or let your husband tell you. Some couples like to know—some don't."

"Thank you, Doctor." Mick said with only a slight hint of irritation in his voice.

"Okay then! Let's see how you're coming along!" He hit a buzzer and a nurse appeared. She motioned Beth into the exam room. Mick shook the doctor's hand once more and headed for the waiting room. At the end of the exam, they saw the doctor one more time, and he assured Mick that everything was going just perfectly.

They set up the ultrasound for Friday afternoon. Beth would leave work a little early, and Mick would bring her to the hospital. They walked to the car with Mick's arm around her. He thought she looked so cute in her knit top that was getting tight over her tummy. He wanted to touch it, but thought better of that in a public place.

Mick opened the car door for her, then got in behind the wheel. "A good appointment calls for celebrating, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmmmm. Muzzo's?"

"I was thinking maybe—Spago?"

"I always love that!"

"Deal." He pulled out and headed for a relaxing evening with his lovely wife and child. What a trip! A wife and child! Sometimes it still was hard to get it through his head that he was living the life most human men would die for. The odd thing was, he wasn't human, and he wouldn't die.

"You're thinking loudly again," she said.

"I didn't mean to do that! I was just thinking how I have everything I've ever wanted, and I'm not even human. I always thought I could never be happy as a vampire, and here I am—I must be the happiest vampire on earth! I'm probably happier than any man on earth!"

"Would you ever want to be human again Mick? I mean more than just temporarily?"

"I've thought about that, and now—I'm not sure. I've kind of made my peace with what I am since I've been with you, but I still sometimes feel the old regret wash over me. It's been a very long, tough journey to feel this degree of—acceptance, I guess I could say--and it really is due to you." The look he gave her was grateful and full of love.

"And you were so afraid to get involved with a human!"

"Yeah, how stupid was that?"

"Well, how could you know it would turn out this way? I mean, when you were afraid to get involved with me, you were probably thinking I'd be really bad in bed. . ."

"Now that's one thing I NEVER thought, and you know that!" He gave her that sideways smile that always made her stomach flip. He still did that to her! He was just so **hot!** AND he was hers! Amazing! She smiled really broadly, which made him laugh.

"Hah! I know you were thinking that! Otherwise, you'd have jumped me when I was high on B.C.!"

He was still laughing. "I'd have never done that! You think I'd jump you when you were that out of it? I'm not a total jerk!"

"Well, I'd have had no complaints, I'm sure. Maybe it would have been a good time to do it—with me kind of vamped up!"

He thought a second. "I never actually considered that, but you might be right. Maybe I should have given you some of that before I had sex with you the first time!"

"Well, I'm glad you didn't so I could be completely conscious! I'd never want to forget that night!"

"Yeah, that was pretty special. The beginning of my life." His hand slid over and she put hers in his. "Remember that day when I asked you if you'd want to have my baby? And you said something like we hadn't even slept with each other and it might not be any good?"

Beth laughed. "Yeah, who knew?"

"I did!"

"You did NOT! How could you possibly know we'd be good together?"

"I just knew. I figured the way I felt about you, and the way I thought you felt about me, well, if we ever did finally get to making love, we'd probably set the sheets on fire!"

"Well, you were right. I'm tired of having to buy new sheets all of the time because they have so many scorched out places!"

They were both laughing as they pulled up to the valet, who let Beth out and shut her door. Mick came over and handed him his keys and took the ticket from the young man's hand.

"Hey, thanks, man. See you in a few." The valet watched them walk away and felt a tug in his heart. That's what he wanted someday! Mick put his arm around Beth's back and they walked into the restaurant.

Mick nursed his Scotch while Beth devoured her dinner. She sure was hungry all of the time!

"I love to watch you eat," he said, his eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

"You should be really tired of it by now, Mick!" she said, smiling and raising her eyebrows.

"No, I never get tired of it. Like I told you, it's all the little human things you do that are fascinating. I honestly don't think you will ever bore me." She laughed out loud. "NO! I'm sure of it! I love everything about you." He picked up his glass and so did she.

"To not being bored?" she said, looking at him for confirmation.

"To us, and to having everything, right here and now."

They sipped, eyes locked, and their surroundings faded out. For a moment it was only the two of them. A busboy refilling the water broke the spell.

"Well," Beth said, sighing as she took another forkful of her linguini, "I'm so glad to hear that you don't think I'll be boring because I plan on staying in your life forever."

Mick looked down into his drink. "Forever." He looked up at her wistfully. "I hope we can find forever, Beth."

"We will."

--

As Beth got ready for bed that night, she heard Mick playing his guitar over on the sofa by the fireplace. He was singing a haunting tune that was beautiful. She came out in her tee shirt and underwear and sat beside him, listening as he played and sang. He stopped for a moment, then started singing another verse as he looked into her eyes.

"I'm thirty-three for a moment  
Still the man, but you see I'm a _they_  
A kid on the way  
A family on my mind. . .

I'm forty-five for a moment  
The sun is high  
And I'm heading into a crisis  
Chasing the years of my life. . .

Fifteen I'm all right with you  
Fifteen, there's never a wish better than this  
When you only got 100 years to live."

He stopped and looked at her with an odd look on his face.

"I love that song," she said, "Five for Fighting, isn't it? I like the way you sing it too—in a lower register—it melts my heart."

He shot her a quick smile. "Yeah. It's called '100 years.'" He got that look on his face that was tender and thoughtful.

"It makes me feel strange, thinking about mortality and chasing the years of your life when you're human, and sometimes I wonder if it makes life seem just so much more precious when you know—you only have 100 years to live?"

"You aren't guaranteed a hundred years any more than I am, Mick. You were almost killed last week!"

"I know, and that experience has made me _feel _every day so much more intensely than I used to. I think of the life inside of you, and I think of how I felt when I was dying and I thought I'd never see you again and how much that hurt inside! Mortality—that feeling of NOT having forever—it's causing me to look at everything differently. Maybe it's PTSD or something—I'm not sure, but the song just keeps running through my head, and I find myself humming about being fifteen and thirty-three, and one day, ninety-nine, and how I want to be here with you forever."

"I want that too, Mick, more than anything."

He looked at her with a pensive expression that turned to puzzlement. "I think what I'm coming to terms with, honey, is that even if today is all I have with you, it's enough. I've had the gift of you for months now, and if I should have to leave, I'd be devastated, but still I'd have to be thankful for having had today. If today was all we ever had, Beth--it's so much more than anyone else ever gets!"

He watched her nod, understanding, tears rolling down her cheeks. She squeezed his hand. "You're right. Mick—you are so right."

"So, let's live forever, huh?"

She nodded again, now laughing through her tears. "That's good for me! Now, keep singing. I love to hear you sing."

He smiled and began again, pulling his hand from hers to play the guitar. He strummed a few bars before singing, and it was beautiful.

"I'm 99 for a moment  
Dying for just another moment  
And I'm just dreaming  
Counting the ways to where you are. . ."

He put the guitar down and went to her, kneeling in front of her. She leaned back, knowing what he wanted, and he put his ear on her belly. She stroked his hair while he sang to the baby.

"15 there's still time for you  
Time to buy and time to choose  
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this  
When you only got 100 years to live."

He stayed there, silent, letting her stroke his hair, listening to the heartbeat of their child, wondering how he could ever say good-bye to them. If what he had felt all of these years was true—if being a monster was so terrible—how could he even think of turning Beth? Making her a monster too? And this innocent child! How could he wish for the child to be turned someday? But then, how could he watch them die?

"You're thinking, Mick," she said softly, still stroking his hair lovingly.

"I know. Beth, I'm thinking—I don't know if I could turn you—I don't know if I could ever turn our son or daughter into what I am. I thought I could turn you, but you're a mother now! How can I make you a vampire when you're nurturing our child? The past few days it's been eating away at my sanity! I want you to be with me always, yet if forever means turning you. . ."

"Don't think about it, Mick. Let's take this a day at a time. You'll figure out what's right, and you don't need to feel any rush about it. I'm still young! Maybe when I'm forty I'll feel different, but by then, this baby will be—twelve or so! We can decide later!"

"I know. You're right. But 100 years doesn't seem long enough to live with you."

She continued to stroke his hair, run her hand over his cheek, rub his forehead, his ears, loving the beauty of him and the sweetness he brought to her life. Still, as she massaged his forehead, she noticed the tension there. "What is it, Mick?  
You're in turmoil over turning me? Honey, don't. . ."

"But I want it all! Beth--I want forever, but I also want humanity, and I can't have both."

"No, you can't. Mick—give this time. You just went through a horrible experience, and you have to let your mind heal before you try to make any major decisions." He pulled up her top and kissed her little belly bulge.

"I love you so much."

"Is that me or the baby you're saying that to?" She felt his breath on her tummy as he sighed.

"Both of you, of course. But mostly you—you understand, and even better, I know you love me back."

"You're right about that one--let's go to bed and pretend we'll be this way forever."

He raised his head to look at her. "That's a dream I can dream forever." He stood up, leaned over and picked her up. This dilemma had him tied in knots, but she was right—it didn't need to be decided soon, and for now, all he wanted was to make love to her—for a hundred years, if possible!

Afterward, as they snuggled close, Beth held his hand, the one draped over her, and moved his wedding band back and forth as she mindlessly played with his fingers.

"I can't get over you, Mick—you're such a constant surprise to me."

"What part?" he asked her softly.

"How you could deny yourself intimacy for so long, and then we get together and you're the perfect lover—so sweet and tender, and so passionate! And what you've done to ME! I'm changed forever--I can never get enough of you!"

"I know. It's just us together, Beth. I'm this way because of you, and vice versa. We'll never understand it, I don't think. I only know we have something nobody else has ever had."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I love you more every second you live."

"Same with me, Mick. Every second."

--

It was three in the morning, and Josef was watching the market in Tokyo. Sarah was sound asleep. The doorbell rang, and he looked on the monitor. Surprised, he pushed the elevator button to allow his visitor entrance. She stepped into his house looking as gorgeous as ever, white skin glowing against her black dress and coat.

"Hi Josef. I hope I didn't interrupt anything." She thought he looked attractive in his casual knits. She had mostly seen him in suits and ties.

"Not a thing. Actually, I'm very glad to see you, Coraline."

--

**Author's note: If you'd like to see a video of Mick's song, click on the link below:

(Okay--apparently you can't post a link here, but the song is "100 Years" by Five for Fighting, and it's beautiful. It's also on my story over at , and it has the link in the chapter.)

Let me know what you think--Mick is struggling with the human/immortal issue! --suz


	25. Chapter 25

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE – "Where There's a Will. . ."**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hank had gone through all of it—anger, mostly—anger at Morgan for leaving him down here! Anger at the people who took him! Anger at Mick and Josef who just ignored him! Anger at the two idiots who weren't coming back to bring him blood, and anger at the 'suit' for possibly killing them and not coming back himself. It had been days since he saw anyone, and the silver was making him weaker and weaker as he missed his feedings. Morgan could at least get her butt back here! Pretty soon he'd be a goner and he didn't even know if there was a person or vampire out there who knew where he was! Great idea to become a vampire! Well, if he hadn't, he'd have been dead anyway. If he ever got out of this dungeon, he was going to kill all of them, he swore to himself. Just let him out and he'd show them vampire justice!

--

Josef looked Coraline up and down and thought she was perhaps one of the best looking women on the planet, but her good looks were somehow ruined by the fact that she was crazier than a loon. 'Don't let her play with your head, Josef!' he told himself.

"Come on in and sit down. May I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine, Josef. I brought the cure for you, so I'm trying to show good faith in keeping my end of the bargain."

Josef rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "And you're keeping the rest of our bargain as well, I hear."

She sighed. "Yeah. I'm staying away from Mick and his precious little freshie wife! Don't worry—she's no threat to me—it's just a matter of time before he gets tired of being with a human."

Josef said nothing. Just looked at her with his penetrating stare.

"What? You know he'll get tired of her, Josef! Mick's had the vamp life! How could he settle for less?"

"Well, it seems he really loves his wife—and maybe he plans to turn her someday, I don't know. I just see that he's finally happy and I'd like him _left that way!"_

"Oh, fine! Just don't be surprised! Now—are YOU ready to give up being a vampire and take this cure? I can't imagine you as a human!"

"Frankly, Coraline, I can't either, but I want to have a child, and it's the only way I can see to accomplish that."

"Why would you think taking the cure would give you the ability to father a child? You've been a vampire for 400 years—don't you think it's maybe too late?"

"It very well may be too late, but I have to try. It's my only regret—being a vampire and having no descendants."

"Okay, go get a sharp knife and sit down. All I need is an arm."

Josef went to the kitchen and took a knife off of the magnetic knife holder. "Will this one do?"

"As long as it's sharp!"

She sat in a chair by him at the kitchen table. "Pull up your sleeve."

"Is this going to hurt?"

"Are you a man or a mouse, Josef! Geez, for a 400-year-old vampire you sure are a big chicken! It's just a scratch!"

"Let me see that," he said as she pulled the tin out of her pocket. He sniffed it and it smelled very herbal. "Okay—go ahead." He watched as she slid the knife across his skin, and he winced. Then he watched as she dipped the knife into the compound and placed it in the wound. They both watched as it was absorbed by his body.

"When does the cut heal?"

"I'll wrap some gauze over it. I brought it with me." He watched as she wound it around his arm and taped it closed. Odd to have a cut that didn't instantly heal!

"There! All done! You should start feeling warm any minute—just—be very careful Josef! You can't get into any fights, and you're back to fully human now. No keen senses, no nothing. Being human is pretty boring, as far as I'm concerned, but you'll have to remember not to get hit by any cars, don't get shot—OR staked! Remember you can't sniff out everything—you're going to be going on human instinct now! And no high jumps either. Oh, and worst of all, you can't drain your enemies, so stay out of their way. I'd suggest not trying to turn anyone either."

"Wow—think you've covered it all? Being human is sure going to be weird. I'll have to concentrate on being human—I guarantee, it won't come naturally after all these years! Maybe I just won't leave the house until I get my vampire abilities back. How long for that to happen? For this to wear off?"

"Usually four-to-six months, Josef. I hope you can get your girlfriend pregnant in that time. I'm going to leave town. I certainly don't want to get abducted again!"

"I get your point. Could I ask where you plan to go?"

"I have a house in Italy, you know. I think I'll just go hang out there for a while. I hear Lance is looking for me, and I don't want to return to France!" She sighed resignedly.

"Thanks, Coraline. This means a lot to me."

"I know, and you're a friend, Josef; I care about you. Let me know if it works, okay?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll know!"

"Josef—do you think I could say good-bye to Mick? I've done what I said I'd do."

"**NO!" **Josef saw her jump. "I mean, Coraline, Mick asked that you stay away, so please honor that. I don't want to have to kill you."

"I get it. Okay. I'm gone." She picked up her large leather bag and started for the door. She stopped in front of the elevator doors and looked up at Josef. "I'll miss you. Practice your levitating—oh, I guess you can't, now, can you?" The smile she gave him was eerie—almost as if she was glad he was human and couldn't throw her in the tar pits! He had to wonder just what she was thinking!

Josef nodded, and allowed her to kiss his cheek. "Good-bye Coraline. Have a good life."

She stepped onto the elevator and was gone.

Josef felt thirsty, but not for blood—for water! He tried a drink and it was good. He could feel the warmth spreading through him from arm to his body, then to his feet and his head. Very strange! He looked at Sarah's food in the refrigerator, and though he was craving a steak, he settled on a turkey and cheese sandwich with lots of mayo and mustard. He wolfed it down and drank one of Sarah's beers as a chaser. Soon he was on the phone, ordering pizza and Chinese. It should help for a while!

Sarah got up early, expecting Josef to be working, but he wasn't in his office, so she walked out to the living room and was surprised to find him crashed on his sofa with a blanket over him! All over the coffee table and dining room table were empty take-out containers! What the heck! She walked over to him where he snored softly. She decided to let him sleep while she cleaned up. She was packing up a large trash bag when he walked into the kitchen.

"Josef! You ate all of this? It's enough for ten people!"

"I know! It was so good!" She eyed him warily.

"And you fell asleep on the sofa! Josef! Are you human? Did Coraline come here?"

"Yup—I am as human as you are, Baby!"

"Josef! You're human!"

He held out his arms. "Come to daddy!"

Sarah ran to him, but noticed he didn't pick her up, just kissed her. "We are hopefully on our way to parenthood, Sarah!"

She beamed brightly. "I sure hope so! Can we go practice?"

"Absolutely! I figure we need all the practice we can get! It might take a while, you know. . ."

"That's exactly what I'm counting on!"

--

Ben was running down the steps of the Court House and ran smack into Simone. He stopped and looked at her, feeling sorry about the way they had met when he had held her on suspicion of committing a crime, then held her in his jail for twenty-four hours! He was a little uncomfortable.

"Hi Ben. Nice to see you again." She turned around and walked back down to the bottom of the stairs with him.

"Simone! Great to see you! You look—great!" 'What a dork,' he was thinking. 'She's attractive, but you are acting like a brainless high-schooler.' He tried to redeem himself: "Congratulations on the Donato case—I hear you were amazing!"

She shrugged and looked at him with eyes full of humor. "Well, I do try. How have you been since I last saw you in the, ah, deluxe accommodations where I stayed for a full twenty-four hours?"

He looked at her as if he were about to say something, then stopped himself.

"Hey--I'm not used to doing jail time, but at least you let me out!"

"Yeah, at least. I feel badly about that, Simone. I really should have called you to say 'm sorry, and now I've let it slip all these months. I was glad we found out quickly that you had nothing to do with that murder."

"Really? Thanks!" She eyed him and he felt himself growing warm under her gaze. "Ben, if you're really sorry, I'm thinking you could apologize to me tonight!"

"I could? How's that? Is there something else I need to feel sorry about?"

Man! Was this guy clueless or what! "No, Ben. I was thinking maybe you owed me a dinner at least! But I'll understand if you don't want to be spending time with fellow lawyers who end up in your jail!"

"No, no—Simone, I'm just a little flustered." Yeah! A lot! "Dinner would be great. Where would you like to go?"

"Name it—I'll meet you there."

"La Luna at 7:30, and I'll pick you up."

"Sounds nice!" She looked him over. He was tall and attractive, and he had huge feet! Dinner with him might be a lot of fun if she could get him to lighten up a little! She opened up her purse and handed him a card. "My numbers—call my cell later for my address. I'll be ready to leave at seven."

"I'll call by five."

"Great! I'm already looking forward to it!"

He watched her turn and continue back up the stairs. The view was very attractive!

--

Logan had decided today was as good a day as any to get out and poke around a little. He fired up his station wagon—the one his folks had given to him as a high school graduation present! It had been the family car, and it was old. Nineteen fifties old, with real wood on the sides. It did look great with a surf board strapped onto to the luggage rack on the roof! It ran perfectly, though. Among his many skills, he was a crack mechanic, and these old cars were always fixable, with no computer parts to muck them up! He headed to Century City. He had to see this place for himself, he had decided. There had to be something under the ground out there, and he was going to find it. He had his compass, his GPS and he knew exactly where to look. Whatever he did or didn't find would at least satisfy his curiosity.

--

Coraline couldn't keep her promise—she had to see Mick before she left town. She owed him that much, she thought, after all they had meant to one another, all the storms they had endured, all the breaking up and getting back together again. She was sure this new relationship he had with the human girl would only be temporary, and he'd one day wake up and remember that she was his first real love. Yeah, he'd be back and begging for more! She knew him that well!

She walked through the underground garage at his building, and saw both of their cars parked down there, side-by-side. 'How precious!' she thought. It made her mad, Mick pretending to love Beth! Attraction was one thing, but marrying a human was ridiculous! She thought about jumping onto his balcony, but he might not like it if she came unannounced, so she took the elevator. She was knocking on his door as two large men came and grabbed her by the arms.

"Oh no! Not again! You're not taking me back to that dungeon!" She struggled against them, but they were vampires, and she had no way to escape.

"We have orders to kill you on the spot here, Miss Du Vall."

"But you won't kill me, right?" She smiled her charming smile and batted her eyes a few times, then looked wide-eyed and very innocent.

They looked at each other. The one who looked more in charge said "I'm telling you—next time you get your head chopped off. Now get the hell out of here!"

Coraline allowed them to escort her to the door, where she disappeared into nowhere. "I think we should tell Mick and Josef about this," one said to the other.

"I don't! We were supposed to kill that bitch! We didn't! Keep your mouth shut if you want us to keep our own heads!"

"Yeah, guess you're right. I kind of hope she comes back. I'd like to chop her head off!"

"You're dreaming. She'd be crazy to come back here!"

"Right. Let's keep our watch up though. We gotta protect the St. Johns."

"You got that right!"

--

The ultrasound went fine, and Mick was glued to the screen, watching their tiny baby inside Beth. It moved a little, and the tech pointed out the head and limbs on the snowy screen. Mick had to admit that it was hard to picture it as a real baby yet, but he could see things the tech pointed out. "Can you see the sex?" he asked.

"Well, I've been trying to, but the baby isn't really cooperating! I have to get a glimpse of a very specific area, and it isn't showing me anything. Maybe at your next ultrasound?"

"Yeah, maybe next time," Mick said, with a quick glance at Beth, who was holding his hand.

Your doctor will call or send you a letter about the final report, but I'm seeing everything I'm looking for! Heart rate is around 140, and that's totally within normal limits. As far as the size—it's dating right on time! That's great!

"Thanks so much," Mick said, elated as he was handed the stills of the baby while Beth got dressed. He kept looking at the head wondering who it would look like.

He led Beth out to the car and they looked over the pictures together in the car before they went anywhere. They were both so excited to see their first real baby pictures!

He leaned over and kissed her. "Thanks for all of this, Beth! I'm so excited about this baby! And the fact that it's half you and half me—it's just so—I can't even tell you in words! I'm going to be a father!" She smiled and patted his hand.

"I love that you're so excited, Mick." He really was cute when he was happy, she thought, hoping the baby would be a boy with his daddy's good looks! "You know, we have to start thinking of names."

"I thought it was Elliot? For a boy?"

"Well, I just threw that out there— I'm impressed that you remember! Wow! But--I'd like him to have your name too—are you named for St. Michael?"

"Yeah, actually, I am. My father was Michael, "Mike" to everyone, and that's how I ended up with my nickname. I'm not sure about having a Mick and a Michael in the same house, and what if it's a girl? Ellie?"

"No—I think we should get a name book and start thinking about it."

"Let's get a sandwich and some tea for you at the bookstore and we can find a name book!"

"I like that idea!"

As they pulled out, they didn't notice Coraline watching in the shadows. She had followed them to the hospital, wondering what was wrong until she saw Beth. It was obvious she was pregnant! Coraline only wondered whose baby it was, and was happy to think that Beth had had another lover besides Mick—if Mick was even her lover! Mick was being the nice guy, she supposed, taking care of the pregnant unwed mother! Just like him! What a stupid man! But after the baby, Coraline would be the one he came to. She'd make sure of that! For now, maybe her plans to leave for Italy would have to wait. . .

--

A few days later, Coraline walked into Dr. Mineo's office and sat in the waiting room. After thinking things through, she decided that being a patient of his was the best way to find out what she needed to know. She knew this doctor was a vampire, so he'd understand her questions. She had heard he was nice as well from one of her co-workers at BuzzWire who had seen him during her difficult pregnancy.

She was called into the office and sat in front of Dr. Mineo's desk. For some reason, he didn't seem all that friendly. She wondered if he was simply one of those doctors who was all business. Ah well, so what! She wanted to be sure she could get pregnant with Mick's baby as soon as he got rid of Beth, which would probably be as soon as she popped out the kid and got Mick's name on the birth certificate! What a little whore.

"So, young lady, what might I do for you today?"

"I'm just here to confer with you, Doctor. I'm a bit of an unusual case."

"Hmmmm. I seem to be getting those lately—so what's your story?"

"I have this compound that returns vampires temporarily to their pre-vampire state."

"You mean they become human for a short while, don't you?"

"That's right. You don't seem surprised."

"This 'cure' that you speak of? I have another couple here who have become pregnant after one of them used that substance."

Coraline nearly leaped out of her chair. "So it's possible? A woman who has been a vampire can conceive?"

"Oh, I'm not sure of that, but a man is able to father children, apparently, even if he has only been human for a very short while."

Coraline sat stunned. This was the doctor Mick and Beth were seeing. But it couldn't be—Mick was only human for days, and he wasn't having sex with Beth anyway. No—the doctor couldn't be talking about them!

"Well, Doctor, it's important to me to get pregnant. I'd like to make an appointment for an exam, and I was wondering if you could see if my eggs are viable."

"I can do that. You must be planning to take this cure then?"

"Yes, very soon."

He was getting a strange vibe from this woman. "You are married? Your husband is human? He's on board with this?"

"No, I'm not married, but I want to give the cure to my ex-husband and have his baby."

"Oh! Two vampires want to have a child! Now this truly is unusual! Why didn't you bring your ex-husband with you, may I ask?"

"He doesn't know my plans yet."

Dr. Mineo sat back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs. "Well, I can't say I'd feel comfortable helping you until I talk to the potential father of this child. Not only will he have to give up being a vampire for a while, but he'll have to understand that raising a child as a vampire—actually two vampire parents--is going to be extremely difficult. I'd have to interview him to be sure he has the right temperament. I wouldn't want him feeding on the child—or worse—turning it! I hope he knows that would mean death for both himself and the baby!"

"I'm sure he'd pass your test, and we'd be good parents together."

"May I ask why you want to do this? A husband is one thing, an ex—that could be complicated! Are you sure he wants to be a parent with you?"

"Well, we aren't together right now. I think having a child might bring us back together."

"That is very unwise, Miss Du Vall! Very unwise. It hardly EVER works. If your relationship is over, go on and find someone else. Most likely he won't want to try having a baby as the patch on your disintegrated marriage!"

"I get what you're saying, Doctor. You already know my ex-husband. He and his wife come to you."

Now the doctor stopped his fidgeting and felt really uncomfortable. His vampire radar was up on high alert.

"I'm sorry, Miss Du Vall. I can't help you. I won't be responsible for helping to break up a marriage. My business is to deliver babies to couples who want babies. My advice, again, is to forget the ex and go on with your life."

"He only married her because she's pregnant with some other man's baby, and he feels sorry for her, so he's going to stay with her and give the baby a name. After this baby is born, I assure you, Doctor, he'll come back to me. His marriage is only for convenience."

Dr. Mineo put his elbows on his desk, and looked her in the eyes. Something was wrong with her, and he could sense a lot of confict and anger in her. "Can you give me the name of this ex of yours? If you're right about him, and I'm treating his wife, I'd really love to know what the true situation is."

Coraline didn't hesitate for a second. "His name is Mick St John, and his wife is Beth Turner. I don't know whose baby she's having, but it can't be his. He was only human for a few days. He feels sorry for her—that's why he married her.

Dr. Mineo thought back to his favorite couple—they had just been in here a couple of days ago! They had explained this as a miracle—one which had happened after only a few days of humanity for him! Was this crazy woman telling the truth? He doubted it. Mick and Beth seemed to be as in love as any couple he had ever seen in these offices! They seemed almost unable to stop touching each other, which he took as a good sign that they were close, both in public and behind closed doors. When he had last asked her if they had any sexual problems relating to the pregnancy, she had laughed and said that sex had never posed any problems for the two of them! It wasn't a marriage of convenience that he could see! It was truly one of the most loving relationships he had observed in a very long time! He said absolutely nothing to her about them.

"I can examine you if you'd care to set up an appointment. I can't guarantee you'll be successful in your endeavor to become pregnant, especially with a vampire man! If you tried with a human—maybe."

Coraline read into these words further affirmation of what she had always thought—Mick couldn't be the father of Beth's baby. Beth needed a human for that—and who was that human? That old boyfriend of hers who died? She'd have to find out.

"Fine. I'll make an appointment. Thank you very much, Doctor."

He shook her hand and felt a chill go up his arm as he touched her.

--

Mick's phone rang late in the afternoon. He had just gotten out of the freezer and had taken a shower. He had to run to grab the phone out in the kitchen. He saw on his caller ID that it was Dr. Mineo, and his stomach immediately dropped. What could be wrong?

"Dr. Mineo! What's up?" Mick said anxiously.

"Oh, nothing about the baby, Mick. Everything is fine."

Mick let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank God. So—what's going on?"

"Mick, this has nothing to do with your baby, but I thought I needed to pass some information on to you."

There was silence at both ends. Mick spoke first. "Okay, doctor—tell me what ithis is all about, please."

"I had a new patient conference today, a Coraline Du Vall." He heard the intake of Mick's breath. "She wanted to be checked out to see if she can get pregnant while on the 'cure.'"

"Pregnant? Who is the victim? I mean, the father?" His thoughts were swimming.

"She says it's going to be you."

Stunned silence now cracked over the lines. "Me?"

"I can tell you're shocked. She says you married your wife out of pity for an unwed mother, and as soon as you have fulfilled your obligations to her, you will be back with your ex-wife, and will be working on making a family with her."

Silence followed as Mick took in what he said. It wasn't possible! He felt sick, thinking that somehow his ex had found out that Beth was pregnant, and was seeing their doctor on top of it! Coraline was back to her old tricks again! He felt violated, now that she was going to HIS doctor and telling the man stinking lies!

"Mick—are you there?"

"I'm here, doctor, but I'm just so stunned. Everything we've told you is the truth, and everything she has told you is an abject lie. I hope you'll have nothing more to do with her, Doctor. She is out to kill me and my wife, actually. She's so jealous, and I didn't even know _how _jealous until you told me this. Oh, man, this is really bad! I feel like I need to find Beth—I have to keep Coraline away from her! You didn't say you'd treat her, did you?"

"Actually, she has another appointment to see me. I suppose I could tell her there's no possibility of her getting pregnant, but it's a bit unethical unless that's true."

"Doctor—she is a psychopath and she does want to kill us. Thank you for warning me, but be very, very careful with her. She's extremely unstable."

"I picked up on that. I thought I should let you know, though."

"I appreciate it—very much. Beth and I will have to figure this out."

"One question, Mick."

"Sure."

"She seems very sure you couldn't have gotten Beth pregnant, but the baby is yours, right?"

"Absolutely. Neither Beth or I had been in a sexual relationship for months before we got together. It's mine. No doubt about that!"

"That's good enough for me. Well, good-bye until our next appointment!"

"Yes, doctor. We'll see you next month."

After the phone call, Mick sat down and put his head in his hands. He'd have to tell Josef, and he had a feeling Coraline's life was about to end, and that would be for the best.

He rushed over to the Court House and raced up to Beth's office. She was there, working at her desk. As soon as she saw him, her smile lit up the room. She got up from her desk and came over to hug him. "You're early! What's going on?"

"I had a call from Dr. Mineo—I had to be sure you were safe. Coraline is up to something."

"I'll tell Ben I'm leaving a little early—you can fill me in on the drive home."

Ben told her it was okay to leave. He nodded and waved as they left. "Stay safe, Beth!" He watched her leave with St. John, who had his arm around her protectively. Oh well. He'd have to get over this crazy feeling about Beth! Maybe Simone could distract him—he hoped so!

The drive home was refreshing—the sun was low in the sky, and Mick had the top down on his car. What he told her scared her.

"Did you tell Josef?"

"I called him—got his voice mail. I hope to talk to him later. I also asked the security guys outside of our apartment, and they were very edgy and avoided my eyes, I was sure I could smell Coraline, but they'd have killed her if she got up to our floor! I'm really having some bad feelings about this, though. I'm going to have to review the security recordings of our hallway."

"I don't like it either. To think she'd see our doctor! And that she'd tell him such a story!" She fumed for a moment, then turned, wide-eyed. "Mick! How does she know I'm pregnant?"

Mick smiled and looked at her sideways. "Honey, some secrets don't keep forever."

Beth looked down at her belly. "Oh. I guess you're right about that! I guess I was stupid to think I could get through nine months without her knowing about it!"

"Well, she knows and we'll have to deal with that. Be extra cautious. I've been thinking about something having to do with your work—when we get home, I'll feed you dinner and ask you about it."

"Hmmmm. Sounds intriguing!"

"Well, maybe! I'm thinking—we do make a good team!"

"Better every day, as far as I can see! Okay—I'll have to wait to hear, huh?"

"After dinner." He smiled and squeezed her hand. He always held it as he drove. Funny how having her in his life now came so naturally!

--

Ben Talbot pulled up to Simone's, parked the car, got out and rang the bell. She came to the door looking smashing in a filmy green dress that hung from a sparkling circle that went around her neck, with light billows of fabric which ended above her knees. Her heels were high, strappy, sexy and black. He helped her into her black cashmere wrap. She turned and gave him a killer smile and he wondered why he had never noticed how attractive she was. Maybe because she had been Josef's, and because in the courtroom, she dressed in suits and acted fearless and intimidating. Not that he'd faced her in court very much, but he knew she was smart, and now he also knew that she was insanely beautiful. He looked forward to dinner, more for conversation than anything, but it seemed looking at her across a table would also be very enjoyable!

"Let's go!" he said, taking her arm and leading her to his car.

"Wow! Nice ride!" she said, looking over the sporty convertible.

"I can put up the top if you like. I've found that most women don't like their hair to blow around."

"Uh-uh! I want to feel the wind tonight! My hair will be fine!" His kind of woman! Off they roared.

--

After dinner, Mick sat with Beth in the living room.

"I've just been thinking about how much I could use your help on some of my cases." He looked into her eyes and she was listening without making any objections, which was a good sign, he thought. "You have a good mind—I could use that—and some of the legwork would be easier if you were along with me. When we put our heads together, like we used to do before your job with Ben, well, I liked work a lot more, and cases were easier to solve. I wondered if you'd come back to work with me."

"So—this is a job offer?"

"Yes, it is." He watched her face as she processed his offer, and he noticed her face took on an unreadable, kind of odd look. He wondered what it was?

"Beth—you know by now you can say anything to me! What are you thinking? You think this is a bad idea?"

"No—I guess I was wondering if we could afford it—me not working outside—you know—earning money outside the family business, so to speak."

Mick sat back on the couch and laughed, shaking his head. "We've been married now for how many months? Four? And we've never discussed finances! Wow—I'm really sorry, honey—I guess I just thought somehow you knew. . ." He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. Beth got concerned and slid over to him, putting her hand on his back.

"It's okay, Mick. I don't care if we don't have all that much—I'm okay working for Ben."

Mick looked up into her eyes again. She was concerned about HIM! "Oh, Beth. I love you SO much!"

Now she simply looked puzzled. "I love you too, honey. I'm just saying. . ."

"I know, and I do appreciate that you didn't marry me for my money! But—I should have told you a long time ago—at least when we got married! Oh, I am sorry." He looked slightly sheepish, and she wondered what that was about.

"Mick, you have to be more specific. I don't know why you think you're so wrong not to tell me everything—money doesn't matter to me! Just having you is enough!" She thought about the money drawer—there was always a few thousand dollars in there, and Mick had told her to take whatever she needed, but she really didn't know beyond that how much money he had. "You know, I have that $40,000 from Josh's life insurance. And now that I'm not paying rent on my place, I really don't spend much."

He looked at her sweet face, seeing so much love there, in spite of being totally clueless as to what their situation was financially.

"Beth! Honey, stop. I should have told you--we don't ever have to worry about money. I don't have to work, but I like to stay busy! You don't have to work, but I thought you liked what you do. Over the past fifty years, I've been very good with my money! Josef keeps me on a retainer, and he's generous, plus, I make a very good income as a PI, and Josef has had my money invested for me for years. I mean, I got IBM stock at the issue price! Same with Yahoo and Microsoft! Think about that!

"Okay--but I guess I'm stupid--it means what exactly?"

"Beth, we have at least—oh--thirty million, give or take, in different places, so don't ever worry about money!"

Beth was gasping and he held her hand. "I had no idea!"

"I know, and it's all my fault for never telling you, but it's true. My money is making us more money every day—more than we can earn from working, so if you really want to retire—we can do that! We can move into a bigger place. We can move to any town you want—here or abroad. Like I said, I live here because I love the weather, and I wanted to keep an eye on you, but whatever you want—it's yours, Beth. All I have is yours."

He was bending over, trying to see her face, which she had resting on one of her hands. He still held her other hand and kissed it softly on the palm.

She was thinking now, shaking her head, at all the signs she had missed--the Versace labels in all of his coats and jackets, his shoes! Even the tags on some of his jeans that he hadn't worn yet told her he spent more on one pair than she spent on ten!

She pulled her hand from him and grabbed a pillow off the couch. She stood up and threw it at him. "You never said a word! All this time, I thought we were just kind of getting by! Omigosh! Mick! You're wealthy!" She sat down again and looked like she was in shock.

He slid across the cushions and put his arms around her. "It slipped my mind, honey! I never worry about money, and I just forgot to tell you that we don't have money issues! I'm sorry, Beth. Will you forgive me? I signed a new will the day before we left to get married—it's all yours if I die, so you and the baby are taken care of."

"Mick! I don't know what to say!"

He smiled. "Well, you could say you accept my job offer, now that you know I can afford to pay you!"

"But Josef paid for the wedding! I thought. . ."

"You thought it was because I couldn't afford it? NO. Josef wanted to give us a wedding—as a gift—he didn't know what else he could do, and I said it was okay with me! He loved giving you a wedding, Beth! He loves you!"

"He loves _you,_ Mick—he did it for you! But still. . ."

"Nothing. The things I do for him—he can't pay me enough! The wedding was chump change to him! And sorry—I'm no billionaire, but I don't care. We have enough to be okay, and if we ever run out—I'll just work harder! I have it in Swiss accounts and in the Caymans—I never know if I'm going to have to get out of here, for one reason or another, so I've taken precautions. It's all in my will so you can find it if you need to. And Josef would help you."

"Don't even say it, Mick. I can't think of living without you. I don't care about your money—I only want you."

"That's the right thing to say, Beth!" He laughed and hugged her close. "I'd be so happy if you'd work with me again, but you don't have to--really, anything you want, just say and it'll be yours."

Her eyes were very wide. "I suppose this means we can afford to build a nursery?"

He still hugged her and she felt the laughter deep in his chest. "I thought we should call the decorator. I still have more space behind the office, and I wanted you to meet with someone to get it done. I guess now's as good a time as any, huh?"

She merely nodded. "You say I don't have to work?"

"No—you stay home with the baby, you work, you climb Mount Everest. Whatever you want, Beth."

"Wow. Climb Mount Everest. Hmmmm. Not right now, thanks. You're really sure you want me to work with you? Mister 'I work alone?'"

"Of course! I never loved work as much as when I was working with you! Besides, I'm not going to have a moment's peace with you out of my sight with Coraline on the loose!"

"Oh, I understand! Believe me—she's giving me the creeps too!"

She climbed on top of him, straddling him, wrapping her legs around him on the couch. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. "Thanks for taking such good care of us, Mick."

"We take care of each other, honey. I'm just happy we have options." He kissed her back, then looked into her eyes. "We'll be okay. I know it."

She moved and wiggled against him and felt him instantly grow firm. "I know you'll always take care of me, so let me take care of you right now." He was already pulling her top off.

"Good trade."

--

Ben wasn't happy when Beth told him she was leaving his employ. He wondered if she could afford not to have a job, but didn't say anything. It was her business. They decided she could finish up her cases in a week, and then she'd be done. She told him she was going back to work for Mick again, and he wished her luck. It was probably for the best, he thought—it would give him a chance to get her out of his mind!

--

Coraline was in her apartment, pacing back and forth, trying to figure out her next move. She heard a key in the lock and the door opened. Hank stood there looking shrunken, miserable, and terribly dirty on top of the rest of his problems.

"Oh. You're back. How did you get out?" She asked him without feeling.

"You miserable bitch!" he said and lunged for her. Unfortunately, he was weak from his time without feeding, and she was much stronger than he. She kicked him and he flew across the room and crashed into the wall. He lay on the floor in a daze. In an instant, Coraline thrust a long piece of wood into him, staking him effectively.

"You are a miserable SOB! After all I've done for you, you come to my house and treat me like this! I've had enough of you!"

She picked him up without effort and slung him over one shoulder. She walked down the hall and threw him down the trash shoot, listening as he sailed down and hit the bottom. Sooner or later they'd incinerate the trash, and he may as well go with it!

She got back to her living room and picked up a broken vase, threw it away, and went back to pacing. She was deciding that waiting for the baby to be born would take too long. She needed to get out of the States. Too bad getting rid of Beth wouldn't be as easy as getting rid of Hank!


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX – "Dreams"**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

_Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

_--_

Mick was pretty upset when he saw what had been recorded on the security videos monitoring the hallway in their apartment! Coraline had actually been at their door! And the security men had just let her go, which meant he needed to call Josef. Josef hadn't been returning his calls, and Mick wondered what he was up to—this was more important than business! Maybe he'd just have to go over there!

--

Logan waited until the shadows were long and dark across the vacant lot in Century City. He got out of his car and began walking, poking the ground with a long stick, looking for anything that would tell him where the prison might be. He wasn't sure why he was looking, but it was simply something he was curious about, and therefore, something he had to do. He followed his nose until he began to smell activity, then followed the scent until he could smell Mick and Josef. At that point, he got down on his hands and knees and felt the ground until he found a button that was so well hidden in the undergrowth that it would never be noticed unless someone was looking for it specifically. He pressed it once, and an entire patch of ground moved away, exposing a stairway down into the ground. It was long, and Logan took his flashlight out of his back pocket to take a better look at the secret entry. All he could see at the bottom was what appeared to be a metal door.

He began descending the stairs and got to the door, which opened when he pushed on it, banging against the wall of the room inside. The room was large, with a very high ceiling, and he felt a slight discomfort at being so far beneath the ground with no way out except the way he had come in. He saw the silver restraints that had been used on his friends during their imprisonment, and thought how uncomfortable the place looked. Well, now his curiosity was appeased. He began his ascent back up to the opening when he saw the panel sliding up above his head. In seconds he was trapped, entombed in the same dungeon Mick and Josef had been stuck in with Coraline and Hank.

--

Mick walked through the doors of the morgue, Beth a step behind him, wondering what Guillermo had thought was so terribly important that it merited an immediate run over here.

"Hey, man, long time, no see! Hello, Beth—good to see you two working together again!"

Beth looked at Mick, who looked back at her. They smiled big, happy smiles at each other. Beth said, "Yeah, Guillermo—we decided we were too great a team not to be working cases together!"

"Glad to see it's going good! Me and my lady? No way we could work together!"

Mick nodded and shrugged, and said, "Hey, I get it, man. I couldn't work with anyone but Beth. So—what do you have for us today? It sounded serious when you called." Mick was curious, and so was Beth. This was kind of fun, she thought, being in the morgue together! Like the old days!

Guillermo pulled out one of the large drawers and unzipped the body bag enough to expose the face. "I wanted to know if you had any thoughts about this one."

Mick looked at the body without emotion. "It's Hank Mottola. Any idea how he ended up here?" A vampire in a morgue was pretty serious, he was thinking.

"I know he was found in a garbage dump—they're trying to track down where he came from. It's pretty unusual for a vamp to show up in the morgue, though—somebody didn't have enough sense to call the cleaner, and they let him end up here! If I hadn't been here, well, let's just say, it would not be good if they did an autopsy on this guy!"

"No kidding! We've got to get him out of here!"

"Not on my shift! I wanna keep this job!"

"That can be arranged. How did he end up like this—can you tell?" Mick was looking at him with scrutiny, thinking he looked pretty dehydrated.

Guillermo unzipped the bag down past the sternum, exposing a deep wound. "Staked and not fed, from what I can see. I'd guess he just turned into vampire jerky out in the landfill."

"This isn't good. I'll call for cleaners to get him after you go home."

"Hey—as long as it's not going to come back on me that I lost a body before it even got to be examined!"

"No. You'll be fine, Guillermo. I'm not sure what this means, but I'll figure it out."

Mick turned to leave, and put an arm behind Beth. As they reached the double door, Guillermo called out to them.  
"Hey—don't be strangers now, y'hear?"

They both smiled, and Guillermo smiled back, observing how happy they seemed. "Everything going good with the baby?" he asked.

Beth patted her tummy and gave a thumbs-up sign. Mick gave Guillermo a satisfied, happy, rather shy Daddy-to-be grin.

"Everything's great. Thanks for asking."

"Well, keep them safe!" He said directly to Mick. "I hear Coraline's on the loose, and if I were you, I'd stay far away from that one!"

"I know," Mick said, turning serious again. "Let me know if you see anything else that's strange, okay, buddy?"

"Sure thing, Mick."

--

Mick reluctantly agreed to let Beth go shopping for some new clothes while he went to Josef's. She promised to be very careful, and they made a meeting time at a safe place, a restaurant inside the mall, at one o'clock. When Mick got to Josef's place, he took the elevator up and walked into the office. It was buzzing with activity, but Josef was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey! Ryder! Welcome back!" Mick smiled at Josef's tech guy.

"Thanks, Mick! It's good to be back!" Ryder answered with his unique smile.

"Where's Josef?" he asked, looking around the space and seeing no sign of his friend.

"He's keeping busy these days! He hasn't said anything, but he's been pretty much skipping work and staying in the private quarters. We haven't seen much of Sarah either! We don't know what's going on—if you find out, we're all curious." Ryder gave Mick a sly smile, but Mick wasn't at all amused. This was not like Josef!

"He shouldn't just disappear. I'm going to see if I can get him out of the freezer long enough to talk!"

"Good luck—I'm not so sure you're going to find him in the freezer, though!"

Mick walked around to Josef's private quarters and checked his freezer room first, finding that Ryder was right—the thing was empty!

He walked down the hallway to Josef's bedroom and knocked on the door, but nobody answered. "Josef!" He knocked again. "Josef? Can you answer me please?"

Mick waited only a second, then pushed the door open. He quickly shut it again. Josef and Sarah were at it hot & heavy in there! He wondered why at this time of day, when his staff was all on duty! This was not at all like the Josef he knew so well! He sat in a chair in the hallway to wait until it was quiet inside the room. "Josef!" he said in a normal voice.

In a few minutes, the door opened and shut behind his friend. Josef was in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else.

"C'mon,Mick—I'll tell you what's new." Mick followed him to the kitchen, where they sat at the table. Mick sipped Josef's favorite blend—O positive with a few drops of AB negative thrown in for extra flavor, but he noticed Josef had nothing, and come to think of it, Josef didn't smell like Josef either! Mick's keen senses picked up on something different. He didn't want to sniff the air outright—that seemed impolite—but he could smell what had been happening in the bedroom, he just couldn't smell Josef—but he _could_ smell his blood!

"What's going on here, Josef? Your staff is all hard at work, and you're in bed!"

"I know, Mick. Coraline came by a couple of nights ago and gave me the cure. I know it's too early, most likely, but we're working on getting pregnant."

Mick raised an eyebrow. "Ah! I guess that explains it! So you've seen Coraline."

"Yes—just briefly. I'd about given up on finding her, and then she just shows up here and says she's ready if I am. So—I'm human."

Mick looked closely at Josef. "Yeah, you look kind of emaciated. Not coming up for air much, are you?"

"Not really. I keep thinking of giving her a baby, and I don't want to do much else."

"Uh-huh!" Mick nodded, took a gulp of his beverage, and noticed that his buddy looked uncomfortable. "Any evidence yet that working so hard at this little project is paying off?"

Josef knew exactly what he meant. "No. Nothing yet. I keep hoping it will happen—I remember what you said about—when it happened to you—with Beth. I want to feel that too. I suppose it takes some time."

Mick shrugged. "I suppose it does. Well, I'm sure it'll happen—it happened for me! But I'm really over here to tell you what's been happening in our hallways."

Josef gave him a guarded look. "You mean you've been watching your security cameras?"

"Yes, and I found out that Coralline has tried to visit us, and your security people simply escorted her out. So much for losing her head, I guess?"

Josef shook his head. "Hey, I'm sorry, man. They knew what they were supposed to do! I'll fire them and get some new guys over there today!"

"That's okay. I'll let them go and get some other people. I know you have more important things on your mind!"

"Well. . .I'm really sorry, Mick. I hate thinking that you and Beth were in any danger! Hey, man, maybe you should call Ben. The Legion might like to know your ex is up to no good again."

"You know, I hadn't even thought about that, but maybe I'll give him a call. We probably are in danger, and I can't take any chances with Beth."

"Yeah—you keep a watch over her! She's getting closer to having that kid, huh? And it's all good, isn't it? You even look different, Mick."

"I feel different. Josef, I hope you get to see what this feels like! Being a father! It's just so amazing!"

Josef looked at his friend with a smile and a tiny bit of envy. "I hope I get to see what it feels like, Mick. I'm really hoping the Universe will be on my side too!"

Mick stood up, thinking and then remembering the other item of business.

Josef saw him processing something. "What is it, Mick?"

"Well, the other news is that Guillermo called this morning, so Beth and I went to the morgue, and guess whose body is there? Hank Mottola!"

"How does a vampire end up _there_?" Now Josef wore an outright worried expression.

"I'll find out, but he's dead. Staked. Good thing Guillermo was on duty and not some human."

Josef was looking almost sick. "This could have been so bad for us, Mick!"

"I know. The cleaner is going to get him out of there, but I have to find out what happened. It could be Coraline, you know. If you see her again, I'd sure appreciate a call."

"You got it. Sorry I've been so out of touch."

"I understand, but now you're up to date."

Sarah strolled into the kitchen just then, hair still wet from the shower, also in sweats. She came over and hugged Mick.

"It's so nice to see you—I hope we can get together with you and Beth soon!"

"That would be good! Tell your man here to get back to work once in a while!" Mick turned toward the door. I've got to get going—I have to meet Beth--I don't like to leave her for very long at a time these days. Getting Coraline out of the picture would help my sanity!"

They all said their good-byes and Mick left. '_HUMAN!'_ Mick was thinking as he left Josef's, walking to his car. Of all the vampires in the world, Josef would be the last one he'd ever imagine would choose to be human! He shook his head, thinking it was hard to believe Josef would give up being a vampire for anything! Then another thought struck him—Josef wasn't a vampire, and Coraline was a threat. 'Bad timing.' Mick thought—what if he needed help getting Coraline out of the way? Josef would be no help at all now that he was human!

He got Ben on his cell on his way to his car and told him Coraline had been around—first to visit Josef, who was on the cure now, and then to skulk around in his own private corridors!

"Okay," Ben said, "This 'cure' thing—how does that affect the whole scenario with Josef and Coraline?"

"If she should decide to do something to Josef or Sarah, Josef can't fight back. He's a human now, and Coraline is a vampire—she'd kill him with one swipe. I don't see why she'd go after Josef, but she would definitely come after me—or more likely, she'd want to kill Beth. She knows Beth is pregnant now, and get this—she's even visited our doctor!"

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Ben was shocked and suddenly panicked for Beth. "Why would she go to YOUR doctor?"

"She told him she wants to have my baby. She's completely irrational, Ben. If there's anything you can do, we'd appreciate it. Beth is in danger."

Ben processed what he'd been told. He was very upset at the thought of anything happening to Beth! His or not, she had to be kept safe!

"I'll get in touch with the Legion elders, Mick. I'll let them know what you've told me, and I'm sure they won't approve of her behavior. I'll get back to you on this, but rest assured—nothing is going to happen to Beth as long as I have any say in these matters!"

"Hey, Ben, thank you." Mick breathed a sigh of relief as he cut the call off. He sure hoped someone would keep that woman away from them!

--

Logan allowed his eyes to adjust to the lack of light from above, and when his vampire night vision kicked in, he decided to hunt for a button somewhere near the trap door. It made some sense to him that there would be a way out, and if there was, he'd find it! As he was hunting around, the door began to slide open, and he crouched, ready to spring, which he did when the opening was large enough. He sprinted vampire fashion past several people who had what looked like more prisoners to bring downstairs. Before they even knew he was there, he was at his car, and all they had seen was a shadow moving quickly. Of course, they'd be able to slow down the video and see who he was later, but for now, Logan jammed the accelerator down and took off down the bumpy dirt road. He'd been able to identify the people who were being thrown into the dungeon as the three who were responsible for taking Mick and Josef—the two idiots and the guy in the suit. Interesting, but there was another prisoner who'd be doing a repeat stint in that hold—Coraline! He couldn't wait to tell Mick!

--

September passed into October and finally Mick kept his promise made in Mexico—he and Beth were going to the beach at full moon. They were feeling safer now that Logan had reported seeing Coraline being jailed again! Ben confirmed it with the Legion elders, so for the time being, the Coraline threat was less fearsome! Beth packed their little backpack cooler with blood for Mick and a protein shake for herself. It would be fun to sit on a bench and watch the waves at high tide with the moonlight shining. The sun was just setting as they parked the car, and holding hands, they walked down the sidewalk to the sand. Mick put the cooler on one of the benches and they kicked off their shoes, letting their toes wiggle in the sand. Beth giggled.

"Why has it taken us so long to get here?" she wondered out loud.

"I'm sorry, honey. We've kind of been working and hiding all of the time, it seems. Tonight I hope we can just channel Mexico for a little while!"

"I loved that so much! It was the perfect honeymoon!" Mick watched as she closed her eyes, stretched her arms up to the sky and breathed in the salty sea air. She was absolutely stunning in the light of the moon which hung languidly and low over the water, and managed to reflect off of her hair in a way that made her glow. He looked at her round belly, and his deep love for her once again surprised him, like a flash of lightning going straight through him, causing a warm rush of tenderness that flooded his very soul. This was the most exciting time of his life, and he was trying to cherish every moment.

"You look so beautiful, Beth." His eyes were shining as hers met his.

"Don't be a liar, now. I know I'm getting bigger every day!" She wrinkled her nose at him and he was charmed.

He moved to put his arms around her and held her as close as her baby bump allowed.

"You are so beautiful you take my breath away, and your little round tummy only makes you more gorgeous than ever!" He nuzzled her neck and she squealed a little, breaking into goosebumps as the cool ocean breeze lifted her hair and Mick's cool lips caressed her under her jaw. Leaning in to hold her close, he felt their child against him, a constant reminder of their love for each other. He closed his eyes, loving the feel of her in his arms with the baby tucked safe between them.

"Is the baby active tonight? Can you feel him right now?" He was always wanting to know what it felt like to carry their child, which Beth found amazingly sensitive!

"He's lazy right now, but I know he's happy that Daddy finally said it was okay to go to the beach!" She looked up into his eyes. "You're calling it a 'him' tonight. I wonder what that means?"

He raised an eyebrow, which she could see, even in the relative darkness that enveloped them.

"You're the one who doesn't want to know! I try to switch back and forth from 'him' to 'her' for you! Any time you want me to tell you. . ."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just thinking that if my labor gets long and intense, the surprise element of not knowing might help me keep working at reaching the goal. It's like not wanting to open your presents early, I suppose."

He laughed against her cheek. "I guess that makes some sense. I'm going to be there, though. We're going to get through this together."

Now it was her turn to laugh. "Ha! Nobody's asking you to push a bowling ball through your penis!"

He flinched. "Ouch! You have a point there! But I'm going to be with you every second, you know, and if I could take the pain for you, I would."

"I know, Mick. It's not even worrying me, really. This pregnancy has been pretty easy, I'll have to say. It must be 'cause it's _your _baby in me, and my body just accepts anything you want to give me."

"Ah, that's a very nice thing to say, Mrs. St. John! You know I want to give you everything."

"You do."

Mick was quiet, holding her, then brought his arm up to clasp her hand in his as he began to move his feet in the sand. Beth went along with him as he hummed a sweet tune in her ear—another oldie from the Big Band era, but it was pretty, and they danced to their own music, hand-in-hand, cheek-to-cheek.

"I wish I could give you more", he said after a long silence, not breaking the rhythm of their dancing. Her head was now leaning against his chest, and her eyes were closed as she enjoyed the feel of him beneath her, so solid, so safe.

"Mmmm," she said lazily, "I don't see how you could ever give me more. I absolutely love the nursery! It turned out just like I saw it in my dreams!"

"I'm glad you like it." They danced a while longer as he sang "The Way You Look Tonight," then he stopped and looked at her eyes, shining and as luminous as the harvest moon still rising in the sky.

"I'd love to be able to give you more children, Beth. I have a feeling we'll be so taken with this one that we'll want another."

"Oh! Already adding to your quiver before this little arrow has even shown up?"

He laughed softly. "I guess. I want it all--now that I'm with you, Beth, I just want everything most men get to have."

"What do you mean, Mick? Is there something more you want?" She waited, curious.

He was silent for a few moments, looking off, watching the waves hit the shore. This world was so beautiful, and he was so happy! Why did he have to want more? He looked back at her and saw her eyes searching his, looking for an answer.

"Beth--how many kids would you have—if we were just a normal couple?"

"Who wants to be normal, Mick!"

"I do."

This gave her pause. He seemed so serious. "You'd want to be human again? Are you thinking of getting more of the cure from Coraline?"

"No. I don't ever want to see her again! I don't even want to think of her! But sometimes lately I dream, and Beth, I haven't dreamed for going on sixty years."

She laid her head back on his chest and put her arms tightly around him. "What do you dream, Mick? And why do you dream now?"

"I can't explain it—I never want to go alone to the freezer anymore, so I put it off as long as I can, and I end up falling asleep in your arms, and then I dream! It's so strange! And I dream of us—we're just a normal family with a few kids and a house and a yard. I even dream of. . ."

He stopped and she listened with rapt attention. "What?" she whispered.

"I dream we're making love. I dream it almost every night now!"

He felt her laugh softly against him. "You don't have to dream that, Mick! We DO make love every night! And every morning, and every opportunity we have in between!"

"I know, honey, but in my dreams it's different. I'm loving you and we're making a baby together, and it's so--sweet!" He stopped and she leaned back to watch his face. His eyes were looking up to the sky, and he had caught his lower lip in his teeth. She felt a deep longing inside of him that momentarily threatened to break her heart.

"Mick, tell me—you dream we're making love, and what's so different?"

"I don't know, Beth—I'm having a hard time with this right now! Like I said, I don't want to wake up and go to the freezer! I want to be with you, stay with you all night, and I want to put my seed inside of you, like in my dream, while you sigh and move under me, and it's so. . .erotic and beautiful and. . .human!"

"Mick. I want that too. I wish I could have that dream too." She rose up and kissed his cheek and he hugged her tightly.

They held each other until the moon was high in the sky, and then they sat on the bench and drank their drinks, Beth with her feet up on the bench, leaning against Mick, both of them watching the waves catch the bright moonlight beams, bringing them to shore, and placing them at their feet. They didn't say much, as they silently wished that somehow God and the Universe could grant them their dreams, but knowing some things simply weren't possible.

--

For Mick's eighty-fifth birthday, I planned a surprise. While he was out working, Marissa and Sarah came over and helped me get ready. It was a Saturday, and we had a fun time all afternoon making party food and laughing about how my belly kept getting into the flour and the sauces as we concocted our delicacies! By the time we were done, I was a mess!

Mick came home and pulled me into the shower, and afterwards I put on one of my new outfits--big enough to be comfortable, but slinky enough to be pretty for a party. It was kind of a soft metallic knit in a blue that matched my eyes. I wore the bracelet Josef had given me for my 'something blue' at our wedding, and a diamond circle necklace Mick had given me for our three-month anniversary. He noticed right away that I wasn't in my usual jeans and hoodie.

"Wow, Beth! You look great! What's the occasion?"

"You forgot your own birthday?" I asked. He looked a little bit taken aback.

"I guess I did! What—are we going out?"

"Oh, I have a few surprises for you! In fact, I think I hear Josef and Sarah downstairs already! They wanted to toast you on your big day!"

"Is that right? Why do I feel you aren't telling me everything?"

"Because I'm not! Now come on down and pour Josef one of those awful drinks you two like to sip on." I took him by the hand and led him to the stairs.

"Awful? Are you talking blood or Scotch?"

"Either." I came down the stairs and hugged our friends. Mick was right behind me. The doorbell rang and Guillermo and his girlfriend where there, along with Logan, and Sam from BuzzWire had also arrived. I motioned the guests in, made introductions, and made it a point to get Logan and Sam started in a conversation about techie stuff. I was happy to see that they seemed to be hitting it off every time I found them together over the evening.

Marissa and Tom came later, and Julia arrived on the arm of a very handsome guy named Jason. I had invited Ben, and was surprised that he showed up with Simone, of all people! I hugged her tightly—I was really happy to see her—and she assured me she had called Josef to ask if it was okay, and he was fine with it.

Mick turned on the sound system and we had an eclectic mix of my music and his, the old and the new, and everyone human was eating the hors d'oeuvres like they were starving. Mick was manning the blood bar, which was disguised as the non-alcoholic bar, and Josef took care of the alcoholic beverages, mixing and shaking exotic martinis with panache.

Everyone got a tour of the house, and loved the new bedroom and bath, but the baby's room was a special hit. It was done in a gender-neutral butter color with tan and blue accents. The crib was done up in coordinating sheets and bumper pad, and there was a comfy rocking chair, in one corner, a giant furry bear in the other one, compliments of Uncle Josef, and I smiled as people asked me how I felt and told them the truth—I had never felt better! With the morning sickness gone, I felt marvelous!

I came back to the living room on my way to the kitchen and noticed Ben sitting alone on the couch while the rest of the gang was taking the tour, so I went and sat next to him. "I didn't know you were seeing Simone, Ben! It's so nice to see her again—I'm glad she came with you tonight. Oh—and thanks for coming to the party!"

He looked at me with wistful eyes. "Thanks, Beth. We haven't been seeing each other for very long, but it's been fun. She's great." The longing in his eyes was hard to miss. I patted his hand.

"I hope it works out for you."

He looked down at my hand, and put his other hand over mine to cover it. "I don't know how it will go, but we're taking it one date at a time. I do miss seeing you, though—the office seems empty without you. How is it being back to working with Mick?" His eyes were trying to size me up, I thought.

I pulled my hand out from under his and tried to be upbeat. "I love working with my husband, Ben. It's like old times. We're doing really well!"

He cleared his throat. "I'm glad about that. Really, I am. Things have gone well for you both."

"So far. We still have the Legion meeting in January, and that's a worry, and of course, we still wonder what will happen with Coraline who will no doubt come back sometime! Otherwise, everything is really pretty great!"

Ben nodded and took a large swallow of whatever he was drinking. "Good. Beth, I'm happy for you."

Just then the mob all came from different directions and ended up in the kitchen as Sarah lit thirty candles on Mick's cake. We all sang "Happy Birthday," and he blew out the candles, after he gave me a look that I could only interpret as his wish, and I hoped to heaven that somehow his wish could be granted. Cake and ice cream were served up, and Marissa poured coffee.

After everyone had left, Josef and Mick went out on the balcony for a cigar while Sarah and I cleaned up.

"How is the quest for Baby going, Sarah?" I asked her, washing a tray and handing it to her to dry.

"Well, nothing's happened so far! It's only been two months, though, and I guess we really can't count on anything until it's been about four months. We're keeping our fingers crossed!"

"Well, me too. It would be so fun if our kids could play together growing up!"

"That's the truth! It's hard to keep hoping and waiting! I'm not all that patient!" She looked at my belly with envy.

I took her hand and placed it where the baby was kicking and she laughed, feeling the little wrestler inside of me. "Wow! That is one active kid in there! Does that hurt?"

"No, not most of the time. Once in a while you get a kick in the ribs or the bladder! Mostly it's just really strange! It blows my mind that I have an entire human being inside of me!"

"Wow. That is sobering!"

"It'll happen for you, Sarah. If Mick and I could get pregnant, believe me, anything is possible!"

She smiled and simply said she hoped I was right.

After they left, when Mick and I were alone again, we undressed each other slowly and slid under the covers of our bed. I reached under my pillow and handed Mick a small box wrapped in silver paper with a silver ribbon.

"What's this?" he asked softly, looking at me with a sweet, kind of awed expression.

"It's your birthday present, silly!" I touched his cheek lightly, but saw tears brimming. I stopped making light of it and asked him, "What is it, Mick? It's nothing really—don't be thinking it's something really great—honey?" I wiped a tear from his cheek.

He cleared his throat. His voice was hoarse when he spoke at last. "Do you know how long it's been since anyone gave me a birthday present? Not to mention a party! Beth—it's probably been since I was a little kid! It just—brings back memories. Thank you."

He reached up and pulled me to his lips. He kissed me softly, but with all of the passion of a man denied the little things in life that make moments special.

I watched as he opened the box up, carefully, as if it were something priceless. Inside he found a small, marble, hand-carved figure of a man holding an infant. "It's beautiful!" he said, swiping at a tear.

"I bought it in Mexico—I met the man who carved it, and he had such lovely things. He looked so poor, and I thought he had a special talent, so I told him so, and bought this for you."

"I love it—it's perfect. I'll keep it on my desk where I can see it every day. It's me—holding our baby."

"Yes, Mick, and soon you'll have our child in your arms, and I can't wait to see the look on your face when you hold him for the first time."

He set the little carving on the night stand and then pulled me into his arms. I sat there, cradled and safe as a baby while he kissed my hair and tasted my lips.

We made love very slowly, almost reverently, whispering our love and clinging to each other as our passion overtook us. As we drifted off to sleep, I put my head right next to Mick's, hoping that somehow, being this close, his dreams would find their way into my own.

--

We had fun at our birthing classes, and met another nice couple there who were expecting their first baby a couple of weeks before ours was due. Mick enjoyed the exercises where we practiced our breathing, and when we watched the film of an actual birth, he was mesmerized.

After class, we usually went to the coffee shop across the street from the hospital where I had my cup of tea, and Mick got to watch me enjoy it. I wished they had Scotch, but we always had a good time just talking and gazing into each other's eyes. I _KNOW!_ How dweebie are we! But we can't help it! We're still so taken with this LOVE that we can hardly keep our eyes and our hands off of each other!

"So, what picture are you going to use as your focal point for labor?" he asked, being practical.

"Hmmmmm. I suppose it would be redundant to have a picture of YOU, huh? Since you'll be there!" Looking at him, though, I couldn't imagine wanting a picture of anything else to get me through labor! My handsome vampire lover!

He smiled. "Yeah, there's supposed to be a point where you won't even want to see me—'transition,' isn't it? Where you'll scream and curse at me? And you'll be glad you won't ever have to do this again?" His smile faded, and I reached over and put my hand on his.

"We don't know for sure we'll never have another one, Mick! Let's not think about it right now—right now, we have to get through the first one!"

He nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get the first one out of the way, huh?"

"Now you're talkin'! And for a focal point, you know, I'd really like to have one of our wedding pictures. Maybe that seems stupid, but remembering that day always takes me to a good place—in case I need an escape!"

"That's pretty awesome! Wow, that day doesn't seem very long ago, but look at all that's happened. And look how big the baby's getting! You were barely pregnant back then!"

"Pregnant enough, apparently!" I said patting my belly. Mick smiled.

"Apparently!" I could tell how proud and happy he was, since being a daddy was something he never thought could happen to him, and now, very soon, he'd have his miracle.

--

The next week after our birthing class, I sat at a table and watched Mick as he stood in line to get my tea. Of course he looked amazing! He was wearing one of his perpetually cool Versace coats that I loved so much, and his jeans hugged him in all the right places without letting the general public in on the secrets hidden inside! As I sat, I noticed a woman breeze in and get in line behind him, looking over the menu of options, and when she was done, I watched her give my husband the once-over. She was really sizing him up, from what I could tell! I was only a little jealous—she was stick thin, wearing impossibly high heeled knee-high boots over skin-tight leggings and had a thousand-dollar ecru-colored sweater hanging just below her butt. She had dark blonde hair with perfectly placed highlights, sunglasses pushed up onto her head, even though it was now approaching full dark, and she had a black scarf thrown carelessly on purpose around her neck.

I was about ready to bop her one when Mick got to the front of the line and ordered. Then trouble. She tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, looking startled, and she said something to him which caused him to smile that heart-melting smile of his, and then, to top it off, he shook her hand! They talked right up until she put her order in, then talked some more as they waited for their orders to be put up! I sat with my head on my hand while my husband flashed his cutie-pie smile at a fashionista on the hunt. When he finally shook her hand good-bye, she handed him something, and he came over to our table, still smiling his lady-killer smile.

"So you got hit on, huh?"

"I guess! And I got her number to prove it!" He was looking at her card, then looked at me. I must have looked as perturbed as I felt. "Aw, honey, she wasn't really hitting on me!"

I narrowed my eyes at him. Yeah, right!

"So, why am I feeling jealous when she's gorgeous and I'm a human HumVee?"

He looked at me and shook his head. "No, Beth! Nothing like that! Her name is Kim Asher and she's from the Ford modeling agency. She's a talent scout. Funny, but she asked if I'd be interested in testing for a shoot she has coming up."

"Oh! I guess L.A. is the city of dreams! A talent scout! And at the bottom of the card, does it say anything about being in a porno?"

I took too big of a sip of my tea and burned my tongue. Darn! "AHHH!" I said, but he paid no attention.

He laughed and looked up at the ceiling. "No, honey. I think she's on the up and up. I can't do modeling, of course, since I can't be out in sunlight!"

"Oh! Of course! But if only you didn't have the sunlight issue, you'd be happy to be in her porno!"

He just laughed again and looked at me, shaking his head, smiling. "I've heard pregnant women get a little edgy toward the end, but honey, it's nothing! I can't do it anyway!"

I was now sticking my tongue into my glass of ice water. I'm sure I looked amazingly attractive.

"Tho, you don' wan' ta call hew bag?"

"Beth, honey, take your tongue out of your water when you're talking. I can't understand you."

"I burned it on my tea! I just wondered if you were going to call Miss Slinky back?"

"No. I told her no, but she insisted on giving me her card. Said to call if I had a change of heart. Apparently she thinks I'd look good on film! Crazy, huh?"

I didn't say anything, but noticed he put the card in his pocket. Okay, pregnancy gives a woman a right to be paranoid! He saw me watching him from over the rim of my ice water.

"It really hurts, huh?"

"Yeth, ip we-we doth!"

I watched him with fascination as he stuck his tongue out and proceeded to bite down hard on the tip, causing it to bleed. He swiftly got up and came over to my side of the table, then squatted down by my chair. He reached up with one arm, and pulled my face to his, and proceeded to tongue-kiss me right there in front of God and everybody!

I tasted his blood, sweet on my sore tongue, and in a second the burn was gone--it didn't hurt any more. I looked him in the eyes, surprised and rather aroused. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Thank you," I said guiltily.

"You're most welcome, Beth St. John, the only woman in my life, the only woman I would tongue-kiss in a public place, the woman who saved me, healed me and is making me a father. Hmmmm. Now why would I happen to love a person like that more than I love my own life? And why would I never, ever cheat on her? You'll have to tell me—it's not coming to me right now."

I grabbed him around the neck and tongue-kissed him back, then looked into his fathomless eyes, dark and seductive, and so penetrating they made my stomach flip right over. I took a breath, then said, "I guess you love her, even though she's got a butt the size of two of yours right now, and even though she's jealous of a stranger because you are so damn _hot _that every woman in the world wants you! and I guess maybe you love her because she loves you back more than her own life or anything she will ever have in this world."

"Ah, now you're making sense." He kissed me again, softly on the lips, then rose and went back to his chair opposite mine, where he reached out and took both of my hands in his across the table. "Stop worrying that people are watching us, Beth."

I blinked and smiled shyly, somehow not surprised he had read my thoughts.

"I love you for always, Beth, and don't ever forget that." His eyes were absolutely hypnotizing.

I ran my tongue around my lips. "Mmmm. It doesn't hurt anymore, and it tastes like you. I love that!" He was still staring at me, one eyebrow raised. "And I won't forget it, Mick. I promise—I won't."

He nodded and smiled back at me, melting my heart for the millionth time. Yeah, I thought for what must be the ten _billionth _time--forever just wouldn't be long enough for us.


	27. Chapter 27

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN – "A Turn of Events"**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Coraline had been in this prison long enough, and was about ready to chew through her own chains when her eye caught sight of something on the floor. Geez! How had she not seen the thing before! It was her underwire! The one Mick had used to pick the locks on her chains that day he had let her go! She had to lie down and stretch to reach it, but she pulled it back and hid it inside her bra. She had no idea how to pick a lock, but it hadn't taken Mick any time at all, so she'd just play around with the wire until something happened! Mutt and Jeff were looking at her right now, so she decided to wait until they were asleep. The suit guy wasn't doing well and slept most of the time. Maybe he needed more blood than the rest of them did on their rations. Well! At least now there was some hope!

The Legion sent out their Summons to Appear in early January, the week after New Year's, respectfully asking Mick to show up at their next meeting to be grilled and possibly fried afterwards. He was on the phone with Josef in a second, and sure enough—Josef had received the same Summons. This would happen on January 26th, the night of the full moon. Mick clicked the phone off when he was done talking, and gave me a look that shot fear through me like a bullet through the heart. Mick and Josef couldn't even prepare—they had no idea what they were up against, so we had to try to pretend we were okay until this was all over. Our baby was due on February 7, and I prayed Mick would be with me for the birth. How could he not be there! I thought he needed to hold our child more than I did, since I'd have been holding it for, essentially, nine months, and he was still waiting! I knew he loved our baby already, and could hardly wait for the day it arrived, the day he'd officially be a dad!

We tried to be upbeat about things, but that summons hung over our heads like a funeral shroud. Every night we held each other tightly, as if our time together was ticking away, and though we could not imagine being torn apart, we had to face the possibility. I prayed hard for this to all pass over us, but in my heart, I felt the reality—this might not be a happy ending for us. We made love over and over, trying to somehow make a few short weeks last a lifetime, just in case a few weeks was all we were going to have.

When Mick was busy with other things, I cried my heart out, not only for myself, but for him, for our baby, for all of us. All we wanted was to be a family, and we were so close to having it all! The baby was due a week after the Legion meeting! I could only cling to the hope that Mick wouldn't be sentenced to something that would take him away from me and our baby.

--

After three days of fiddling with the underwire pick when the others seemed to be asleep, Coraline finally heard the click of the last lock as it gave way. It was the one around her neck, and it felt heavenly to get it off of her! She carefully and soundlessly removed the shackles from her wrists and ankles. Looking around to be sure everyone was sleeping, she floated up to the high ceiling, out of sight in the darkness up there, and decided to simply hang around until she had a chance to escape. It didn't take long—about a half hour later, the door banged open for the evening feeding, and as she floated up the stairs, the attendants trudged on down the stairs beneath her to bring in the blood bags. As she floated out of the opening into the night, she heard cries of surprise from down below. She didn't even try to hear what was said, but imagined there would be hell to pay for someone down there due to her escape!

--

"Mick?" I called his name out as I entered his office. It was a beautiful sunny winter day and I needed to get into the light for a change! I didn't know if he'd let me out of his sight, but I had to ask. In two or three weeks, I might be stuck inside with the baby, since we certainly wouldn't want to subject our child to any danger!

He looked up from his computer and saw that I had a sweater on. "You need to go somewhere?" He started to get up, but I waved him back, so he sat down again.

"I just need to go to the store. We're out of a few things, and frankly, I just need to see some sunshine! I promise I won't be gone long!"

He didn't look happy. "I'd really like to go with you, Beth. We still can't be sure it's safe out there."

"Oh, come on, honey! Coraline's been in shackles for weeks now! Logan and Ben have both said so! I'll be fine, really!" My eyes were trying to give him a confident signal without being too pleading.

Mick crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the floor. His feet were bare, and I thought he looked good enough to eat, but then, I always thought that, so nothing was new.

When he looked back up at me, he was _way _serious! "Call me when you get there, and call me when you leave. If I don't hear from you, I'm coming to look for you."

"Thank you, Mister Prison Guard!" I smiled giddily and he smiled back tentatively.

"Hurry back, but be safe."

I took the elevator down to the parking garage, wondering if my car would even start after sitting idle for so long! We always took Mick's car everywhere, and it had been ages since I had driven anywhere by myself! 'Ah! Good car!' I was thinking as it started right up! I backed up and braked quickly as something flitted past me, a shadow—it must have been a bird, I thought. I headed out into the sunshine and didn't even wear sunglasses, but just drank in the rays.

The PCH wasn't crowded today, and I enjoyed driving along the ocean with my window open, feeling the breeze in my hair. The baby was kicking up a storm, reminding me that it was getting eager to come out and meet the parents! I smiled, thinking of how much fun it would be to have a baby in our house! Then the shadow of the Legion's gathering fell on my happy thoughts, instantly dampening my mood. "Oh, God! Please let us be okay!" That was my constant prayer these days.

I pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and clicked the lock on my fob as I headed for the doorway, and once inside, was happy to find that the usual crowd was pretty small! I guessed it didn't really matter, since I was in no hurry, but was enjoying my solo expedition as much as a trip to the beach! Well, almost! When had I last been out on my own, I wondered? Before Mick's birthday, at least! I felt a certain liberation, even though spending all of these days with Mick had been nothing but wonderful.

As I filled up my shopping cart, I thought back to Christmas, just a couple of weeks ago--our first Christmas together! We'd had so much fun picking out gifts for each other, trying so hard to keep them hidden as we shopped. I now had a pair of beautiful diamond string earrings to match the circle necklace Mick had already given me, and I thought how much they looked like Simone's earrings that I had worn for our wedding! Mine were longer and had more diamonds, but otherwise, they were very similar!

We had gone over to Josef and Sarah's on Christmas Eve for a quiet little gathering of friends, then we came back home and exchanged gifts by the twinkling lights of our tree, which, Mick informed me, was the first Christmas tree he had had since he was a kid living with his mom and dad! Again I marveled at how much he had changed my life, and yet, I had probably changed his even more, and hopefully for the better.

Remembering that night, I now was thinking ahead to the day I could begin wearing the beautiful clothes Mick had given me for after the baby came! I guessed that being Mick's wife meant that I might be expected to start wearing the labels like he did, so in my huge closet I currently had outfits hanging around that, all totaled, had cost more than my car, but I was now living in Mick's world, and I seriously doubted I'd have much trouble getting used to it! The beautiful things he had picked out for me to wear completely overwhelmed me, just as the Prada and Chanel bags had.

We had also given each other piles of tiny baby clothes, which were now all washed and ready to be worn by little Miss or Mister St. John. I got Mick a very cool white gold ID bracelet with a secret engraving inside of it, which made him get suddenly shy as he laughed at the same time, and when I told him it had GPS, he didn't even blink, just put it right on, as though he expected I'd want to keep track of him! Right! Now he wears it on his right wrist, and I hope he thinks of how much I love him every time he looks at it!

I checked out and pushed my cart full of supplies to my car. I had just put the last bag into the trunk when I felt myself lifted off of the ground. In a second I was in a big SUV with Coraline, who was on top of me in the back seat and was wrapping my wrists together with duct tape as her accomplice sped off. I tried to kick her, but she wrapped my ankles with duct tape too, then put a piece of the sticky stuff over my screaming mouth. I was so terrified that I couldn't even think! What would she do with me? "Mick!" I screamed inside my head, but I knew--he wouldn't know what had happened to me, and somehow that made this even worse.

--

Mick picked up his cell and saw that it was Logan calling.

"What's up, Logan?"

"Mick—Watch out for Coraline—she got out!"

Mick jumped out of his desk chair and ran to put on shoes. As he was getting his keys he asked exactly what Logan knew.

"I've been watching the satellite feed from last night out at that cave, and Coraline has escaped the place somehow! The time on the recorder says she got out at around six p.m."

"Okay, so she's out. I've gotta call Beth, Logan."

"She's not with you?"

"She went to the store by herself. I'll call you back."

Mick hit Beth's speed dial and her phone went to voicemail. He panicked. "Beth! Call me back right away! And don't leave the store, honey—Coraline is loose!"

He cut the call off and tried again, and then again, but only got her voicemail. By now he was speeding toward the store at about 100 miles an hour, praying that she was all right. Damn that Coraline! He pulled into the parking lot and spotted her car. His stomach sank when he saw that her trunk was open, full of bags, and she was nowhere near the scene. He sniffed the air and felt her panic at being taken by Coraline. He could smell his ex, and she was still a vampire. He also smelled the fear Beth had felt, he heard her cries, and saw the black SUV she'd been taken in. He called Lt. Carl and quickly told him what had happened, and next he called Ben.

They were both on their way over to the crime scene, and while he waited, Mick tried to follow the scent trail of the vehicle, but lost it at the highway. Too many other smells mixed in with the unique scent ID of Coraline's car. When Lt. Carl showed up, he tried to calm Mick down, but Mick wasn't hearing it. He was pacing and growling low in his throat, trying desperately not to vamp out in public.

Ben came with a man Mick didn't know, and introduced him as his new assistant—the one he'd hired when Beth had left. Mick saw Ben's concern and felt somehow comforted that another person was in distress over Beth's kidnapping. Soon the parking lot was full of cops and CSIs, which was all well and fine, but Mick knew who had taken his wife. He just had no idea where they had gone.

"Carl, I've got to go see if I can find Beth. Call me if you find out anything, will you?"

"Yeah, of course, Mick. You let me know if you find anything too, okay? Don't go vigilante on me now."

Ben gave Mick a nod. He knew what was up, and he also knew Lt. Carl didn't have much of a clue. Mick nodded back and ran for his car.

His first stop was Coraline's apartment, which he picked his way into. It was swept clean, and from the smells he could pick up, he discerned that she hadn't lived here since before her imprisonment. He noticed the dent in her wall and wondered who had made that. Probably Hank when she threw him at it. He shuddered, thinking of how Hank had ended up! "God, please stay with Beth!" he whispered under his breath as he ran back to his car.

His next stop was the glass party house, but again, nobody had been in there for months. When he ran out of ideas, he simply drove around, trying to get a scent—something to tell him where Beth was, but found nothing. At dawn he went back home.

He walked through the empty house willing her to be there, knowing she wasn't, so exhausted and sick at heart, he laid down on their bed, took her pillow to hold next to his face so he could smell her, then he curled himself into a fetal position and wept.

--

As the sun was setting, Josef let himself into Mick's place with his key. Ben had called him earlier, and before Beth's car was taken to be impounded and examined, he and Sarah had brought her groceries over and put them away. At the time, Mick was out looking for his wife, and since Josef couldn't help, he left him alone. Now it was perfectly silent in the apartment as he moved through the rooms, looking for his friend. He found him asleep on the bed and decided to let him be. At a time like this, sleep was an escape. He went back out to the bar and poured himself three fingers of Mick's Scotch.

When Mick finally padded into the room where Josef sat, it was quite dark.

"You look awful," he said, quickly sizing up his distraught friend. "Have you fed lately?"

"I can't remember—it's been since this morning at least."

Josef got up and went to Mick's hidden blood stock and poured him a tall glass. "Here, buddy, better keep your strength up."

Mick took the glass, but didn't drink.

"If anything has happened to her, Josef, I don't care—I don't care if I shrivel up—I don't want to be here without her." The pain in his friend's eyes made Josef flinch. He sat down in the chair next to Mick and put his hand on his knee and gave it a squeeze. "You have to feed, because there's no other way you can save her. If you aren't strong, she has no chance. You know that, so drink."

"I don't know if she has a chance anyway, Josef! I can't help her—I don't know what to do!"

Josef stood up and looked down at Mick. "I said drink, Brother."  
Mick put the glass to his lips in a robotic kind of way and drank it down, then handed the glass back to Josef. "I need more."

"Coming right up."

After three glasses, Mick poured out his anguish to his friend, who listened and anguished with him. "I don't know what I can do to help her, Josef! I don't know where to look! Where do I even start?"

"Clear your head, Mick. You have to get over the panic and think clearly. You're the investigator here, not me! You'll think of something, but when you're completely terrified, it's hard to be rational!"

"I know, man! I know! I just can't be rational right now! I AM terrified! I'm completely lost!"

"Hey—let's not give up yet! It's way too early, Mick! I've called Logan and Guillermo and they want to help you look. I'm sorry, but I'm still human, and I can't do much for you, but take them and see if you can scent something. Start somewhere, and just keep going until you find a clue, anything! Until you find HER!"

Mick had his head in his hands when there was a knock at the door. Josef let the other men in. Guillermo took one look at Mick, then raised an eyebrow at Josef.

"He needs your help, guys. I'll stay here just in case she comes back. Call if you need me for anything, okay?"

The three vampires headed out into the dark night while the one human stayed behind, hoping and beseeching the Universe for a miracle for Beth.

--

A week later, Mick had to admit defeat. They had covered most of L.A. and had found no trace of Beth. Logan had tried looking for Coraline Du Vall or Morgan Vincent in all of the hotels in and around the area, but had come up with nothing. Guillermo was reluctant to go to work every day, and always breathed a sigh of relief when he ran through the census and found that there had been no new bodies delivered during his time off that in any way matched Beth's description. Ben called daily, but had nothing to report; only that Lance had been notified of his sister's actions, and apparently he was most displeased with her.

In agony, Mick drove to Josef's and walked in through the elevator door to his office. The scene was pretty normal, with Josef on the phone and his worker bees doing their jobs. When he saw Mick, Josef ended his call and ushered his grieving friend out onto the balcony. "Nothing, huh?"

"Nothing. Josef, she's vanished. My wife and my baby are gone! Why did we ever let Coraline go? Josef, it's my fault! I unlocked her and let her go!" Josef watched Mick put his head into this hands and felt more than heard his anguish. "I can't take this, Josef." His voice was softly desperate.

It choked Josef up hearing the fear and abject desolation in Mick's voice. He'd do anything to help, but what? 'Use your head!' he thought, wondering what angle they hadn't yet covered.

"What about Coraline's friends? Is there anyone who would help her? She had to have somebody help her! Someone drove the car, you said—so who?"

"Good question. I don't know. Hank's dead, and I don't know who Coraline knows here. She probably paid someone to help her!"

"Paid someone to help her kidnap Beth? I'm not so sure. Think, Mick. Anyone."

Mick got up suddenly and started to pace back and forth. "I don't think she has friends in L.A. Maybe New York, but not here!" He paced some more and stopped dead when it came to him. His breath caught in his throat and he was immediately excited. Why hadn't he thought of her before!

"_Cynthia!_ She's Coraline's oldest friend!" He clasped his hands together and looked to the sky. 'God, please let this help us find her!' He was completely out of other ideas.

"Right!" Josef was also excited. "Good old Cynthia! Have you checked to see if she's in town?"

"No. I didn't think of her until just now."

Josef walked briskly over to Ryder Englund who was working hard at something. He stopped immediately when he saw Josef standing next to him.

"I need you to check all of the hotel registries for a Cynthia Xavier Davis, and then check with the rental agencies, and every possible hidey-hole for her and Coraline. Check all of California and Nevada. Let's even check Arizona, okay?"

"I'm right on it, boss," Ryder said with serious concentration as he got to work.

With Ryder working on finding his wife, Mick sat down and leaned back on the sling-back chair on Josef's balcony, trying to breathe normally, trying to keep from losing his mind. He looked up into the sky and wondered if Beth could see the sky wherever she was being held. He couldn't even think about more dire possibilities. He prayed, lips moving, eyes closed, for her and their baby. 'Just take care of them, please,' he was pleading.

Physically, he wasn't feeling well. The terrible aching was back, like when he had been abducted, and the only explanation was that separation from Beth caused more than mental anguish for him; it was an actual physical pain that hurt him in his bones and his head, but mostly it hurt him in his gut, where the giant gaping hole lay open and bleeding without her to fill him with her unique brand of happiness and contentment. A tear slid down his cheek and he bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He felt so inadequate and so terribly responsible! If she died, he'd die too, and he didn't care. Living without her was not an option, and the thought flitted like a flash through his mind that if he ever found her, he'd turn her in a moment, just to know that she'd be here forever with him. So much for commitment issues!

He heard a shout from the other room and ran to Ryder's work station. Both Ryder and Josef were talking rapidly to him. They had found Cynthia, but she wasn't in L.A. She was over in the town of La Quinta at the famous resort near Palm Springs, where she had rented a bungalow all to herself.

"Get this," Ryder said, looking at the computer screen, "she rented it the day before Beth was kidnapped, and according to the records, she hasn't checked out!"

As Mick heard this, alarm bells went off in his head. He knew Cynthia hated California! She'd never book a bungalow for a week!

"Josef—I think it's a good possibility that Beth is there. I have to go!"

"Ryder is calling my pilot right now. Let's get to the airport."

--

Mick sped the whole way to LAX and they got there in record time. They had to wait about twenty minutes for the pilot to arrive, and that was agony for both of them. Time ticked slowly when the life of someone you loved was at stake. Mick carried the one bag they had between them, a heavy bag full of the last of Josef's blood stock, which was frozen now, but would thaw over the next few hours. Josef had been the one to remember it—Mick couldn't be bothered with mundane things like survival at a time like this.

They were silent on their flight, which was particularly painful for Mick, thinking that only months ago, he and Beth had been on this same plane on the way to their honeymoon. He looked around, and the memories flooded his head of a time when they were naïve enough to think forever was possible!

Josef kept an eye on his friend, but it was difficult to see him so upset. Mick kept his eyes closed for most of the trip, which was relatively short, thank goodness. When they landed at the Palm Springs airport, they were met by the attendant who had brought the vehicle Ryder had ordered per Josef's instructions—it looked as though they'd had gotten it right, Josef thought. They tipped the man, got into the car and sped off in a blur, Josef at the wheel, Mick navigating from the car's GPS system.

"I like this car! I said I needed something fast, and they brought this over." Josef had his foot pressing heavily on the accelerator of the small rocket in which they rode.

"I wish I could enjoy the ride. Maybe next time."

"Let's just be glad they had something speedy—an Astin Martin doesn't let too many road runners get around it. Tell me when I make my next turn."

"Not for a while, just keep speeding."

"Mick—what do we do when we get there? I mean, it's pretty much up to you. Remember, I can't really help you fight."

"Yeah. I know! Of all the times for you to be human, Josef!"

"Sorry, Brother. I know the timing is really bad."

"I'll say! Let's just get there. I can probably take Coraline by myself, but I'm not sure. She's awfully strong, and she's probably going to be really pissed off when she sees us."

"Yeah, and you've got two old vamps there to fight with. I mean one old one is bad, two is. . ."

"I know, Josef! I know I'm outnumbered!" Mick looked at the speedometer, and Josef was flying along at about 120. With the traffic, it wouldn't be safe to go any faster, he thought. He was fighting the urge to growl and vamp out in anticipation of the fight. He just hoped there'd be something to fight FOR once they got there!

"Turn here," Mick said, pointing the way, and they exited the highway. They had to slow down here on the more quiet side street, but Mick noted their speed was still close to 60 in a 35. They only went about a mile when Mick told his friend, "Slow way down here—the turn is coming up fast!" Josef decelerated to a crawl as they went through the picturesque entrance to the famous La Quinta Resort and Spa.

--

Over the past week, I'd gone from thinking I could fight my way out (not realistic) to waiting for a time they weren't watching me and I could escape (that wouldn't happen—they kept a watch on me constantly between the two of them!) to being sure I would live to have the baby to being sure Coraline would kill me, as she had promised, and would take the baby and make her happy family with Mick. Yeah. She might kill me, but she'd never have Mick, and I was absolutely sure of that!

"Here—since Cynthia says not to kill you yet, I guess we should feed you." Coraline handed me a tray which she had ordered from Room Service, and I fell on the eggs, toast, hash browns, sausages, orange juice and tea like a starving animal. I'm sure I was even grunting as I ate. All I'd been able to get from them for two days was water and a few pillow mints. I tried to slow down, but that was difficult. Coraline watched me. "I sure don't see what he sees in you! You eat like a pig and you look a mess!"

"I'm sorry, Coraline, but I've found I'm never at my absolute best when I've been kidnapped and held without a shower for two days, nearly starved to death, and generally scared shitless."

"Oh! Feisty! I guess Mick does like women with spirit. Maybe that's what he likes about you."

I ignored her and kept eating, afraid she'd pull the tray away from me any second just to be mean.

"So, Beth, who is the lucky father of the baby? I know it's not Mick, and I'm really curious!"

I still remained silent, swilling my orange juice instead. Vitamins tasted so great when you needed them, I decided. I heard her begin tapping her foot, and knew she was irritated, but I didn't care. I certainly would never tell her this child was Mick's!

"I see. You don't want to talk. Well, fine. Just so you know, though, I do plan to kill you, and I do plan to do it soon. The only thing that would save your baby would be if it somehow _was _Mick's. Then I'd have to be sure it lived so I could take it to him. BUT—it's not his, and you and your baby will die, and Mick will recover from your loss, and he and I will be back together again!"

I had stopped eating, feeling a sudden attack of nausea. I began sipping my tea, hoping to keep the food down. In case I did live, the baby would need the nutrients. I had to think! She wanted to kill me and the baby? Why?

"Coraline, I guess I can imagine why you'd want to kill me—you think I'm in your way with Mick. Maybe that's true. But why would you be so heartless that you'd kill a baby? Even you can't be that evil."

"HAH!" It sounded like a witch's cackle to me, and I jumped, spilling a few drops of my tea. She looked at me, and I could see the craziness in her eyes. They looked like Charles Manson eyes to me! I had to try hard not to shake and tremble under that gaze. "You ARE in the way with Mick! I could see it right away, before I ever went to work for BuzzWire, when I was watching the two of you, and yes, those pictures you found? That was my proof that he loved you. I could tell by the look on his face when he was talking to you. I could tell by his body language! YOU are a threat to Mick and me, and I want you gone!"

"Okay, but can't you let me have my baby? Mick is really looking forward to this baby."

"So you're saying it's his? Because I don't believe you! It's impossible! He wasn't human long enough, and you weren't together when he was human!"

I tried to think this through, and decided that if I explained that the baby WAS Mick's, even if she killed me, she'd get the baby to him, and if it was the last thing in this world I ever did for my husband, giving him this baby would be it! So, I decided I had to tell her the truth. What agony!

"It was a miracle, Coraline. It's hard for _us_ to believe it happened, but it did. Apparently the six days of his humanity were enough for his body to make, ah, sperm. Over the months, that sperm matured instead of dying when he was turned back into a vampire. Even our doctor is astounded and calls this our miracle! But the baby IS Mick's, and he is very, very eager to have a child that shares his own DNA. It means so much to him." She was looking skeptical. "Coraline, if you love Mick, you'll let him hold his child. If you don't, he'll hate you forever for killing his only chance at having a child of his blood."

"Why should I believe you?"

"You don't have to, obviously, but I'm telling you the truth. Think about it. Josh died in January—a year ago. This can't be his baby! Mick is the only man I've been with since Josh!"

"You might just be saying this to save your baby." She still looked evil, but she was processing what I was telling her, I could see it in her crazy eyes.

"I might, so do a DNA test. If it's not Mick's, then kill it. But you won't have to do that--it's Mick's."

"So, I could just cut it out of you today, and I'd have Mick's baby. Then I could take it to him, and he'd be so thrilled to have his child that he'd want to be a family!"

Now I really had to think fast! "There's only one problem with that idea, Coraline—the baby isn't due until the end of March. If you took it now, it would die, unless you have a neonatal intensive care unit here to administer all of the medical procedures you'd need to do with a very premature infant!"

'Oh, God, please let her believe me!' I prayed. At this point, it wasn't my life I would bargain for, but the life of our baby. Mick could raise it without me, and he'd be comforted to have his own child, even if I had to die.

"You look too big to be premature!"

"Well, maybe you're an obstetrician, Coraline, but I'm just going by the dates the doctor gave me."

"How much weight have you gained so far?"

"Thirty pounds." Actually it was only twenty, but I wanted her to think I was just fat.

"Wow, that's a lot!"

"You're telling me!" We had a stare-down. I won.

"Okay. " She sighed a huge sigh. "We'll just have to stay put, I guess! We'll wait for the baby to get big enough. I'll have to do some research. What's your due date?"

"March 27th," I lied. It was my dad's birthday, so it sounded as good as anything.

"I'm going to find out how soon we can get that baby out of you."

"Whatever." I pushed my empty breakfast tray away and decided to lie down. All of this stress was making me tired and causing me to get crampy. I didn't want to go into early labor if I could help it.

--

Three days later I woke to hard cramping and got scared. As I lay there over the next hour, the sun rose and my cramps became more regular. If this was labor, it meant the baby was a couple of weeks early, and I hoped it was only false labor. I stayed as still as possible in my bed, thinking of Mick and how we had practiced our breathing exercises for labor, and I cried until I had soaked my pillow, missing him, wanting him, needing him.

The contractions (I had to admit, that's what they were becoming!) were about ten minutes apart, which wasn't making birth imminent, and I still could hope they would just go away. I closed my eyes and prayed I'd be found before I had this baby!  
Coraline and Cynthia came in later and asked me if I wanted breakfast. I was in the middle of a contraction and couldn't immediately answer. Coraline looked at me suspiciously.

"What's wrong, Beth? Are you feeling sick?"

"I just need a little water, I think, and yeah, I do feel kind of sick."

"Too bad. We were going to let you have a shower today. Guess we'd better wait until you feel better."

A shower! Oh, how I wanted a shower! "Could I try the shower? Just a quick one? I might feel better if I could get cleaned up!"

They looked at each other, and then Cynthia reached out for my hand. "Come on with me. I even have a clean gown for you." HEAVEN!

As soon as I hit the shower, a strong contraction doubled me over, and I had to wait for it to pass. Cynthia wanted to know what was wrong, since she was watching me through the glass door. "Oh, I'm just having some stomach cramps. I'm sure it's nothing." I quickly soaped and shampooed, but before I was done, I had to stop again and wait for another contraction to pass. I guessed that now they were getting a little closer together, and wondered at what point I should tell the evil twins that I was in labor. I was pretty sure that telling them would be the end of my life, so I was putting it off as long as possible.

I was glad to see a clean towel and nightgown waiting for me when I got out. Cynthia simply stood and watched me dry off and dress; she didn't say a word. I hurried as fast as I could so I could get back to bed before the next contraction hit, and I was almost there when I doubled over in pain. I actually got on all fours on the floor, panting, as Cynthia looked on with the disdain of someone watching a dog vomit. I couldn't help myself, though. The contractions were getting closer and stronger! I was terrified that Coraline would come and cut the baby out of me if she knew!

When it was over, I stood up, shaking, and asked Cynthia to please not tell her friend that I was "sick." Cynthia seemed kind of clueless—maybe she didn't know anything about babies being born, but she said she'd tell Coraline that I still wasn't feeling well, and she let me get back into my bed, where I shook and prayed and took the pain as it came, trying not to make any noise.

--

"Okay," Mick said, trying to be calm, but not feeling anything close to calm! You've got to take a right here, and we go down to the end of the street, then make a left."

Josef could hear the strain in Mick's voice as he called out the turns on the way to where Coraline was holding his wife.

His prayer had become constant now—'Please let them be alive and okay.'

They wound through the streets of the picturesque resort, past the main building, past the shops, past rows of fruit trees which would blossom soon, but the beauty of this place was lost on both men; they were on a mission, and neither had time to soak in any of the ambience of the beautiful place surrounding them.

They drove past bungalows of different sizes, some with private swimming pools, all with high fences around them for privacy. A pretty perfect place for evildoings, Mick was thinking. Nobody would hear any cries for help out here.

"Make another left here," Mick said, watching as they passed by one more cottage before stopping at a dead end. "Sorry—back up." Josef backed up and they looked for the number of the cottage, which was the most isolated of all of the rentals on the entire property.

"This is it!" Mick said emphatically, noticing that the number of the bungalow matched Ryder's research. "Back up so they can't see us," he suggested, and Josef swiftly backed up farther and stopped a half a block away. "Okay, this is good!" Mick said as he rushed to open the car door, then ran the half-block to the rental in a few seconds. He crept carefully up to a window, which was low enough to allow him to peer inside.

He could smell Beth here, and Coraline as well, and he felt a sense of elation just finding the scent! She was alive! He was so close to her now that he could feel her, and his stomach tightened up, wondering what condition she'd be in. There were loud noises coming from inside, lots of hollering, and beneath all of the racket, he could hear Beth crying. He stole another look inside and saw Beth lying on a bed against the wall across the room, unrestrained, with Coraline and Cynthia arguing over her. Coraline had a large knife in her hand which she was waving around, and this terrified Mick to the point where he almost rushed right in. He knew he had to think this situation out, though. If he couldn't fight them both, Beth would surely die. He tried to listen to their words, but they were in a shouting match that looked as though it might soon come to blows—or stabbing. He had to act fast! He ran back to Josef, who was standing by the car, and Josef could see that Mick had found Beth by the look on his buddy's face.

"Okay, Josef, it's fight time. Both Coraline and Cynthia are in there arguing with each other. I can see Beth lying on a bed and I can hear her crying, so she's alive!" He took in a gulp of air and swallowed. He was fairly frantic and had a hard time controlling himself. "Actually, right now I can hear her screaming! Josef! I have to get in there! I might get killed, but I have to try! Buddy, say a prayer for me! And if. . .something happens. . .tell her I love her." Mick's eyes were so full of emotion that Josef almost lost it. He watched as his friend turned to run back and sacrifice himself for the woman he loved.

Josef hesitated for only a second, then reached out quickly and grabbed his friend by the arm before he got away. "Mick, we should call for help! You can't fight them both! Not by yourself!"

"Oh, and who do we call Josef! Even if I knew somebody here, we don't have time! I can hear her screams! Josef—it's Beth in there, and she's in trouble! Maybe she's hurt! Listen, man, I can't wait another second!"

Josef was silent for a beat, watching his best friend go through this anguish. Mick was breathing heavily from fear, and Josef was suddenly aware that he was too, and he was gripped by the cold reality that he could lose them all today, Mick, Beth and the baby.

"Mick, I. . ."

"Josef—That's _my _Beth and _my _baby in there! God! I have to try, and if I die trying, at least I did what I could!"

He pulled out of Josef's grasp, but Josef grabbed his coat and stopped him. Mick turned, exasperated and dreading the fight ahead. "What!" It would have been a shout, but he was too terrified to shout. It came out as more of a plea.

"Turn me."

"What?" That came out as almost a croak, Mick was so surprised.

"You heard me." Josef's stare was direct and stern.

Mick stood dumbfounded. "I. . .I. . ."

"Turn me back, Mick. I have to help you fight. These vamps are OLD. They might even be able to beat the both of us, but you need me with you, so TURN ME!"

"Josef! The baby—you want a baby—I can't do this! Don't ask me to do this to you!"

"Listen, Brother—I don't even know if I can _have _a baby, but YOU DO! Your baby and your wife need us right now—they're here, and my baby may never be a reality! Stop stalling and TURN ME BACK!"

Mick looked at his friend for only a second, then tore off his coat and threw it on the ground. He grabbed Josef before he had time to re-think this terrible decision and sank his fangs deep into his neck. Josef's eyes rolled back in his head as Mick drained him and lowered his body to the ground. Seeing Josef near death on the ground in this unfamiliar place made Mick feel sick and shaky as he raised his arm to his mouth, biting deep into his own flesh. He held the wound so that the blood fell on Josef's lips, but Josef didn't move, not for several seconds. Then his tongue came out and licked the blood from his lips, but he didn't take Mick's arm.

"Come on, Josef! You know what to do! Take the blood!" He wasn't shouting, but he was growling, and praying, and scared to his very core. He put his bleeding wound on Josef's mouth, and within seconds, he felt a tongue lapping gently at the blood on his arm, and then felt strong hands grip him. Mick was so glad to feel Josef sink his fangs into him that he nearly wept with relief! He let out a huge breath he had been holding, and felt Josef taking his blood—he'd be all right now. Mick stopped him after a minute and withdrew his arm, telling him as he rose, "Stay put—I'll get the blood," and he practically tore the door off of the vehicle to get to their bag of blood.

In a few seconds, he sat down next to Josef with the duffel holding the blood, which was thawed enough to drink. He was heartened to see Josef sitting up , and he handed him his meal.

They each drained a bag of blood in mere seconds. Then Josef turned his vamp eyes to his friend, and said in a low, growling voice, "Let's go kick their asses to tomorrow."

--

Cynthia must have told Coraline that I was very sick because Coraline showed up with a huge knife, and I knew I was going to die. I'd never see my baby, and I'd never be able to see Mick hold his little boy or girl! I began to cry, and I couldn't stop. Coraline was arguing with Cynthia and was waving that knife around like it was a toy, but I knew better. She meant to kill me with that knife, and worse, take my baby! The next labor pain came along and I started to scream.

I felt Coraline's cold hand on my shoulder, shaking me as I screamed in pain and terror and sadness. "What is going on here! Are you having that baby now?"

"Uh-uh!" I continued to cry and moan. "I'm sick!"

"I don't believe you, you liar! That baby is coming now!"

"No—it's way too early! It'll die! Call the paramedics! Don't let my baby die! Help!"

"You should call 9-1-1." I heard Cynthia try to be a voice of reason. "You can't really think you'll get away with ripping that baby out of her, Coraline! Mick will kill you!"

"Mick will not kill me! He loves me, Cynthia! If we have a baby that's his, all will be right again!"

"I think you're crazy, Coraline!"

"I don't take kindly to people calling me crazy!" I could only imagine the look on her face now! I was glad I didn't have to see it.

They were arguing so loudly I doubted they even heard me crying, but with the next pain, I screamed out and felt my water break at the same time, a warm river all down my legs, soaking the bed and my nightgown. The two women didn't even see it happen. Cynthia seemed to be on my side of the argument, at least. She didn't want Coraline to do her evil deed right here, but then, she had been the one to drive us out here, so I still didn't trust her. I kept crying and wailing and they kept arguing, and I knew any moment I'd be breathing my last breath if Coraline got her way!

I sobbed into my pillow. "Forgive me, Mick. I wanted to give you a child so much! I hope you can hear me! I'm so sorry! I can't protect it! Oh, God! Help Mick through this terrible thing! Help him go on living without us! But if it be your will, at least let the child live! Let Mick see his baby! Please, let him be a daddy to our baby!"

When the next pain came along, I was so spent I could hardly even scream, so I just lay moaning and crying, weeping for the life that might never see day, weeping for myself because I'd die here, and I'd never get to say good-bye to my husband, but mostly I wept for Mick, thinking it was possible that he might lose both of us.  
--


	28. Chapter 28

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT – "Miracles"**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

All Mick needed was the go-ahead from Josef, and they both ran to the door of the cottage, an old, heavy wooden door which would look impenetrable to anyone without an axe, or without the superior vampire powers of annihilation! Together they smashed the door into splinters with one synchronized bash from their shoulders.

Immediately Coraline was on Mick's back, snarling, biting, kicking and fighting for all she was worth. Josef went after Cynthia, who was not easy to catch. Coraline was a tiger on Mick's back, and he was having a hard time getting her where he could cause as much damage to her as she was doing to him, and as much as he tried to deflect her blows, she continued to pound and smack him in the head, holding onto him tightly with her thighs so that he couldn't shake her off. It was when she bent her head over to bite his neck that he was able to grab her by the head and throw her off of him, watching her cartwheel through the air before crashing into the fireplace tools. Without missing a beat, Mick leapt on top of her, beginning to pummel her in kind, satisfied to at last be able to inflict pain. She writhed under him as he tried to grasp her arms to hold them still, and she looked into his eyes, growling.

"I love you, Mick!" At last you've come for me! Soon we'll be a family!"

"You are so insane, Coraline! You might have lived if you could only have left me alone!"

"I can never leave you alone! You belong to me! And I will live—with you, my darling!"

She turned under him and got her legs around his body, twisting him and causing him to crash head-first into the floor.

"Oooof! Ah!" The pain only caused Mick to get more angry. He felt her lie down on top of him, as if to hold him on the floor.

"You can have me, Mick. Take me." Her vampy eyes and fangs, along with her body on top of him, reminded him of a time he'd never forget, even though he wished with all of his might that he could.

Mick tried to get out from under her. "I don't want you, Corlaine! Let me get my wife out of here!"

"She is such a skank. Look at her, whimpering and crying over there! She's not worthy of you, you stupid man!" Coraline leaped off of Mick and picked up the large French knife she had been wielding before. Mick jumped up like a spring toy as soon as she was off of him, but saw her swinging the knife and backed up out of her way.

He heard a noise in another part of the house, Josef and Cynthia battling it out he figured, and in the moment of distraction, Coraline sprung at him, knocking him to the ground once again, straddling him, the knife hovering over him, ready to impale.

"I want you, Mick. I've always wanted you—you know that! How can you think you'll ever be happy with someone else? I'm more than your wife! I'm your sire! You belong to me!"

Mick grabbed her arms, hoping to keep her from stabbing him, but she was on top and had the upper hand. She brought the knife down and pierced through his torso, twisting the blade, then sat back as she watched him struggle, impaled and breathless.

Meanwhile, Josef was having more fun with Cynthia, since, unlike Coraline, Cynthia Xavier Davis wasn't much of a fighter. She was, however, very quick, and managed to escape Josef's grasp every time he got a hold of her, making him chase her all over the house, which only made Josef more and more angry and determined to waste her in this little game of cat-and-mouse!

Mick was momentarily paralyzed, but he did hear the breaking glass in the next room as Josef threw Cynthia against a mirror. Coraline began emitting a low, evil, growling noise from deep in her throat, and Mick knew she was winding up to bite his own throat out. He tried to raise his hands in a defensive position against her attack, but was weakened by the knife-staking she had done to him. He managed to roll over, and she went with him, and that caused her to have to reposition herself. In that moment, Mick pulled the knife out of his gut and plunged it into her, which served to paralyze her for several moments. He stood up and looked down at her, wishing he had a wooden stake to keep her permanently paralyzed.

He was looking at the furniture for something to smash into a stake when his eyes were drawn to the kitchen wall, which was covered with cooking utensils. He ran and grabbed a large wooden spoon off of a rack and ran back to Coraline, who was now standing in a crouch, waiting for him. She saw the spoon in his hand and immediately understood what he planned to do with it.

"Just try, Mick! You just try!" Mick dashed at her and she caught him around the neck and pulled him back down onto the floor. She was holding his arm so that the handle of the spoon was pointed at his chest. It was now down to a battle of will and strength.

As Mick was grappling with Coraline in the living room, Josef was besting Cynthia in the bedroom, kicking her over and over against the wall until she was losing consciousness. When she was sufficiently incapacitated, Josef carried her, limp as a rag, out to the living room and threw her on the floor, looking for something to use as a stake. When he saw Mick in a desperate struggle of strength, trying to keep Coraline from staking him with the wooden spoon, Josef walked over and snatched the spoon from Coraline's grip, then turned around and impaled Cynthia with the wooden implement. With her out of the way, he turned his attention to Coraline, who had once again begun growling and biting and generally fighting Mick like a rabid pit bull.

Josef flew into the kitchen, looking for something—anything—that could be used for a weapon. He went through drawers until he found a knife drawer, where he pulled out a large meat cleaver, and on his way back to Mick, he found the French knife lying on the floor. 'Perfect,' he thought, picking it up and swinging it in a circle in his hands like a sword. The knife would be good backup. He then sped back to the battle royal going on between Mick and his ex-wife. Mick was taking the brunt of the blows, he noticed, but managed once in a while to land a punch in a place that made Coraline wince in pain. She was on top of him again, straddling him, wailing on him like a prize fighter on crack. Mick was growling and snarling, but couldn't seem to get the upper hand.

Josef came up behind Mick's crazed attacker and jammed the French knife into her back, which caused her to gasp and freeze for a moment, and in that moment, Josef knew he had her. Holding the meat cleaver in both hands, as if he were going to hit a home run out of the park, he swung and struck her right in her neck with the blade edge, putting all of his strength into the blow. He and Mick both watched in fascination as Coraline's head flew off and hit the wall, allowing Mick to roll out from under her headless, bleeding body. He stood up by his friend, both of them breathing hard, and they surveyed their work for a few seconds.

"Josef, can you clean this up and hide the bodies? I have to see to Beth!"

"No problem. Get to your wife!" Josef was already carrying Cynthia into the bedroom, thinking they'd need to call a cleaner for this one! Once there, he chopped off her head, and slapped his hands together, glad the fight was over. He next brought Coraline into the same room, putting her next to her headless friend, two headless lunatics, out of the way. It was time for celebrating, he was thinking! Then he remembered Beth—he'd better see how Mick was doing with her. Before leaving the bedroom, he threw a quilt over the bodies, just in case someone peeked into the room before the cleaner got there, shut the door, then left to check on Mick and Beth.

Mick ran to the bed where Beth was still crying. He sat next to her and took her into his arms, and she hugged him so tightly she almost choked him.

"Oh, Beth, sweetheart—I'm here for you—you're okay now." She cried out loud against his bloody shirt, holding him in a death grip.

"I. . .thought. . .I'd. . .n-never s-see you again!" Her sobs were choking, and she was crying so hard that Mick couldn't seem to comfort her, try as he would. He was hoping he could settle her down, but suddenly she was out of his arms and had her hands on the bed. He sat there with open arms, wondering what was wrong as she bent her body over and began to scream and cry in anguish. Josef, who was wiping up the floor with a towel, looked over at them, wondering what in the world was going on! Mick glanced over at Josef with a bewildered expression on his face, and Josef got up and went to them.

"What's wrong? Mick? Beth? Guys? We're okay! Coraline and Cynthia are gone now!"

Beth continued to cry and groan while Mick looked up at his friend, wearing a face that was both terrified and puzzled. What the heck!

"Beth!" Josef called out, tapping her on the shoulder, but she pulled away, shrinking down, wailing. "Honey—you need to tell us what we need to do to help you!"

She finally stopped the noise, and fell back into Mick's arms, exhausted, breathing heavily. "Mick! Oh, thank God you got here!" She looked up at Josef, still breathing unevenly. "You too, Josef. You're an answer to my prayers!"

Mick was worried about her breathing, and tried to calm her down. Getting so worked up couldn't be good for either her or the baby! Her heart was racing, and the baby's heart was too. "I've got you now, honey. You're safe. Shhhh." He rocked her in his arms, shushing her, hoping to help her get a grip. He still had no idea what was wrong.

Josef decided maybe now would be a good time to go outside and call for a clean-up.

"Beth!" Mick asked her softly but firmly, "Honey, you aren't hurt, are you? Can you tell me?"

She rose up out of his arms, and once again bent her body over itself, as she moaned and cried and groaned. It was then that he noticed the bed was all wet, and so was the gown she was wearing. He tried to sooth her, but she seemed beyond comfort. Mick was really feeling scared.

"Honey—your nightgown—whatever this is, it's soaking wet! Beth—are you okay? Tell me if you're hurt!"

She didn't seem able to speak—at least until she collapsed in his arms again.

"Mick!" she panted, looking up at him as she lay in his arms, "I'm in labor! I'm having the baby! You have to help me!"

Holding her close, he processed what she had just told him, and his childbirth class instructions immediately kicked in.

"How long have you been having contractions, honey?" he asked her in a seriously professional, yet gentle tone.

"Hours," she half-sobbed, "Hours and hours! All day!" She was so exhausted she could barely talk, yet she had to have help, and Mick was here.

"And they're coming very close, it seems. Do you feel like pushing yet?"

"Not yet, but God! Mick! I can't take the pain! I think it's coming soon, and I'm so scared! I think I'm going to die from the pain before it's born!"

She was sweating profusely, but was also shaking with chills at the same time. This terrified Mick beyond reason. What to do! As he called out to Josef to call 9-1-1, another contraction hit her and she started to scream again. Mick kicked off his shoes and scrambled back onto the bed, getting behind her, leaning against the wall, pulling her up between his legs. Josef ran in.

"Call 9-1-1 NOW."

Into her ear, Mick said softly but sternly, "Breathe with me, Beth. Breathe with me!" and he began doing their practiced breathing right next to her ear. Hearing and feeling his breath in her ear, feeling him behind her, holding her, strong and capable, calmed her, and she focused on breathing with him, which seemed to help the pain a little bit. The contraction ended and they both blew out a long breath.

"That's it, sweetheart. I'm not going to leave you!" He kissed her head, a kiss full of both fierce love for her as well as terror for her and the child. "Josef is calling the EMTs—help will be coming soon." She began shivering again, and Mick pulled up the blanket, which was still dry, and wrapped it around her shoulders. She was soaked from her water breaking, but this would have to make due for now.

Mick could see the next contraction come on beneath her flimsy nightgown, and immediately began the breathing next to her ear. 'Dammit! That wasn't even a minute between contractions!' he was thinking as he blew his breath next to her ear and continued to hold her firmly but gently between his legs. They breathed together until it was over, and then she lay against him, almost as still as a dead body, but she was sweating, trembling and totally spent. She was also groaning and crying.

"Honey—the paramedics are coming. Hang on for me!" He kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair, wishing desperately that he could do more that simply hold her!

"Mick," she croaked, her voice hoarse from screaming, "I can't take the pain anymore! I can't take it! Please just turn me or kill me—do something!" She was desperate and at the end of her rope, and Mick pressed kisses on her, feeling completely inadequate. He kissed her cheek, telling her he loved her, hoping she wouldn't die in his arms. He looked over and saw Josef in the doorway.

"They said that to get out here, it'll take at least twenty minutes."

"I don't think we can wait that long!" At that moment, she began screaming again, and Mick began doing the breathing next to her ear. She tried, but she was too tired to breathe, and gave up, letting the pain take her, moaning and crying loudly. Writhing around in Mick's arms.

Mick looked at Josef. "I can't help her! Josef!" Josef saw his friend near tears, and walked over to the bed, holding Mick's gaze.

"Yes you can. Buddy," he said softly, "give her your blood."

"She doesn't want my blood!" Mick spat the words out with disgust.

Josef reacted in frustration, spitting out his own words. "Look at her—how long has she been in pain? Hours, she said! Have a heart, Buddy! Give her your blood!"

Just then, another contraction gripped her, and again, the breathing didn't work, so she ended up screaming out hoarsely until it was over. Josef pierced his friend with a warning stare and held up his arm to his mouth, mimicking what Mick should now do to help Beth. His gaze was authoritative and very convincing.

Mick hesitated, looked back at Josef, who nodded, and then felt himself vamping, growling low in his throat, and for a second time in one day, brought his arm to his mouth and bit himself hard enough to draw blood. He put the wound on Beth's parched lips.

"Suck, Beth. It'll help you." His vampire voice was soothing and convincing, spoken right into her ear.

She tasted the blood and tried to turn her face away from it, but Josef caught her by the chin and held her head while the blood ran into her mouth.

"Beth. Please. Just take a little, honey." Mick's voice in her ear was soothing and spell-binding, and in the fog of her agony, she heard her husband telling her to do something very strange, but his was the voice she trusted most in the world, so she did what he asked.

Mick felt her mouth tighten on his arm as she sucked gently. He felt her tongue on his skin, felt her taking in what he could give her to help her. He looked up at Josef and asked quietly, "How much?"

"That should do it. You don't want to completely drug her up."

Mick nodded thanks and began to pull his arm away. Josef just raised his eyebrows and winked. "She'll feel better now."

Beth was surprised that his blood tasted so sweet! When his wound began to close up, she sucked harder, trying to get one more drop. It was like nectar on her tongue!

"You've had enough now, honey! Just a few drops is all you need. It should help you feel better." He felt her relaxing into his arms, and as he watched her belly rise up in the beginnings of another strong surge, he breathed into her ear, but she was asleep in his arms.

He panicked. "She fell asleep! Josef! I'm no obstetrician, but I think she needs to be awake!"

"She'll wake up. She's just processing your blood right now, which is acting like a pretty strong drug in her. Don't worry—the pain will bring her back around any minute, but I'm thinking it won't be as bad as it was."

"I think you're right, but what do I do about the baby? Do you know anything about delivering a _baby?"_

"I'll call Dr. Mineo for you." Josef pulled Mick's cell phone out of his friend's pocket and hit the speed dial for the doctor. After a few minutes of being transferred from the desk to the nurse to the doctor, the man finally answered. Josef put the phone on speaker so Mick could talk as Josef held the phone.

"Doctor, we're in Palm Springs. I found Beth, and she's close to having the baby. I have a friend here, but neither one of us is a doctor, and the EMTs are on their way, but I'm not sure if they'll get here in time."

With the next contraction, Beth woke up and moaned softly.

"Well, thank the Universe you found her in time!" Dr. Mineo said with relief. The hunt for Beth had been all over the news all week! Everyone was terribly worried about the kidnapping of the young pregnant reporter!

"Exactly. We're grateful, but worried that this baby will come before help gets here!"

Dr. Mineo wanted to know what stage she was, but Mick said there was no way to find that out.

"All I can say, doctor, is that her contractions are strong and coming about a minute apart. She was in so much pain she wanted to die, she said."

"Yes, that's common, but she doesn't have the advantage of any pain-killing drugs there. Did you give her some of your blood by any chance?"

Mick looked up at Josef, who only smiled. "Yes, doctor, not enough to zone her out completely, but enough to help the pain. I just gave it to her, so she's a little sleepy."

"Good thinking! All right, since she's a little bit drugged, I think you could check her cervix. Normally that would hurt her, but I'm going to have you check now while she's still sleepy. Has her water broken?"

"Yes!"

"How long ago?"

"I don't know! Beth—when did your water break?"

"Oh, when Coraline was just ready to cut me open," she said slurring her speech, but stating clearly how frightening this day had been for her!

Mick jerked in horror. "Omigod," Josef said under this breath.

Mick shook himself back to the job at hand. "I can't say for sure when her membranes ruptured, doctor, but the bed is all wet, so maybe not all that long ago."

The doctor was very authoritative. When he found out that Mick was holding his patient and helping her do her breathing, he told Mick to have Josef get behind Beth to help her breathe while Mick went down to the other end of the process. Josef heard the doctor's instructions and promptly kicked his shoes off and got on the bed as Mick got off, handing his wife over to his best buddy. Josef slipped in behind, taking Beth in his arms, one leg on either side of her, exactly as he had seen Mick do. She was still pretty groggy, and didn't protest. Dr. Mineo now spoke directly to Mick.

"You need to put your hand up inside of her and feel for the opening, her cervix, Mick, and tell me how many fingers you can put inside of the opening where the baby's head is pushing. But wait until she's having another contraction."

Mick didn't bat an eye—training as a medic in the army had taught him to act quickly in emergency situations. As soon as the next pain came long, he inserted his hand up inside of Beth, and looking upward, he concentrated. Josef was breathing next to Beth's ear, and she didn't fight Mick's invasion, too tired to complain.

"I can get all of my fingers in the opening, Doctor. I'd say I feel at least nine or ten centimeters at the opening, and I definitely feel the baby's head."

"Okay, as soon as she's feeling ready, have her start to push."

"Do we have to worry about sanitary conditions here, Doctor? We're on a bed in a hotel room!"

"You're both vampires, so your hands are clean. See if there are fresh towels, and put those under Beth. Try to catch the baby if you can, Mick. You will also need to get some string or dental floss, and you'll need a very sharp knife or some scissors so you can cut the cord—oh, and bring a bottle of oil back with you as well.

Mick got off the bed and headed for the kitchen, but didn't know where to look. In the other room, he heard Josef blowing next to Beth's ear as another labor pain hit, and he smiled. Josef was a friend he could always count on! Mick returned, but wasn't happy with what he'd found. He would have to make due if the baby got here before the paramedics. He gently lifted Beth up and put clean, dry towels beneath her, hoping it would at least feel better for her not to be sitting in the cold damp puddle on the bed.

When the next contraction took her, Mick reached out with both arms and pushed her legs up so she was in a position to push, which he told her to do in a very stern voice. Her head was bobbing from exhaustion and the highly potent vampire blood in her system.

"Josef, pinch her and tell her to push!"

"PUSH!" They both shouted at her, waking her from her stupor. She seemed suddenly to come around, maybe strengthened by Mick's blood, and Mick was relieved to see her grab her knees and hold them herself in the pushing position she had learned, then she took in a huge gulp of air and held her breath, bearing down firmly and forcefully, stopping only once to catch another breath, then pushing again with all her might. Josef instinctively leaned against her from behind, giving her the support she needed.

"That's great! Honey! Good job!" Mick was elated to see her participating in the event after fearing she wasn't going to be able to finish the job she had started so many hours ago! When the contraction was over, she leaned back heavily on Josef and let her legs go floppy on the bed. They all took a breath and waited silently. When the next contraction came, Beth grabbed her knees, Josef supported her, and the two men yelled "PUSH," and the baby, who must have been waiting around for the go-ahead, promptly crowned.

"STOP PUSHING, BETH!" Mick yelled out. Then said to the phone, "I can see the head! Doctor!"

"Put your hand on the baby's head and hold it there. I don't want her to tear." He addressed Josef next. "If she wants to push, make her blow out forcefully. That kind of breathing helps keep her from pushing."

Josef nodded understanding and said, "Okay, Doctor!"

"Now Mick, take a handful of the oil and rub it on her while you try to work the taut skin of the perineum back so the head can emerge without tearing her."

Mick placed his hand firmly but gently on the head of his child, touching the soggy, dark baby hair on the tiny head that bulged between Beth's legs. He was rubbing olive oil on her, which was all he could find on short notice, and began working to push back the tightly stretched skin around the baby's head. As he gently oiled and pushed, he heard a siren off in the distance, getting louder by the second. As Mick kept up with his task of working the baby's head out, another contraction hit, Beth groaned, Josef blew in her ear, and two EMTs ran into the room.

"What's the problem here? Woman in labor, we were told," one man said.

Mick didn't look up, merely stated fact: "I'm holding the baby's head here and the doctor is giving us instructions on the phone."

The EMTs stood and watched him work, fascinated. Another contraction came on, and Josef kept Beth blowing out, blowing next to her ear so she could copy his breathing. Mick kept one hand on the baby's head while he worked, and when he felt he had pretty much cleared the way, another contraction came along. This time he yelled "PUSH BETH!" She did, relieved to be able to push again! She wanted this thing OUT of her! In a moment, out popped a little head!

Mick got suddenly very excited. "The head is here! I'm holding the baby's head!"

The EMTs, who were watching, mesmerized by the miracle of birth, finally snapped into action.

"Josh! Open up an OB kit!" one of them said to the other as he was putting on sterile gloves. The one named Josh already had his hands gloved, and he ripped open a bag that said "OB KIT," and he pulled out a sterile pad, which he placed on top of the towels and under the baby's head, which Mick was holding reverently in his hands. He then pulled out a bulb syringe, ready to begin suctioning as soon as the baby was out.

"Mick—that's your baby! It's almost here!" Josef was peering down, gasping in awe at the sight of the emerging life.

"Yeah, man, I'm holding him! My God, what a miracle!"

With the next contraction, Mick said, "PUSH!" and out came the baby onto the sterile pad.

Everyone clapped and cheered as Josh, the EMT, moved in to suction the newborn's mouth and nose.

"It's a boy!" Josef announced, and Mick got up to kiss Beth excitedly. "He's here, Beth! Our boy is here!"

Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she lay collapsed in Josef's arms. "It's a boy?"

"Is it ever!" said the EMT who wasn't Josh. Josh, meanwhile had finished the suctioning, and now the baby was mad! He began screaming bloody murder, and the three of them laughed and cried with happiness. Josh clamped and cut the umbilical cord, then began a quick wipe-down of the infant with the enclosed towels in the OB kit.

"That kid is really HUNG!" said the other EMT, causing more laughter amidst the baby's lustful cries.

"Can't really blame the little guy for being upset, having to look at all of us first thing!"Josh said, wrapping the baby in one of the blankets in the kit—the blue one—then handing him gently over to his mother, who let him lie on her chest as Josef got out of the way so that Mick could hold his family in his arms.

Mick's smile was huge and full of delight and tenderness.

"You did it, Beth! You did it! He's here!" His voice held all of the elation, relief and excitement of the moment, and Beth reached to touch his cheek.

"You did it too, Mick. Like you said, you'd be with me, so we did this together."

She kissed her new son's little cheek and felt the tears well up in her eyes again, looking at his perfect, tiny face. "He's beautiful, Mick!" She looked at her husband, taking in the expression of awe and absolute delight, and her tears spilled over. Mick was finally seeing his son!

"He's a little messy, but I think you're right—he is one pretty little man!" Mick swiped away a tear that had gotten away and looked lovingly into Beth's eyes. "You are so amazing, honey!" he whispered, his voice shaky with emotion.

Josef felt tears sting his eyes and went to look out of the door. The smile on Mick's face was one Josef would not forget.

Josh broke the spell when he saw another contraction coming. "One more push, Mrs. St. John. We need to deliver the placenta." Beth handed the baby over to Mick and pushed one more time. Mick got off of the bed and walked around the room, cooing to his tiny son, settling him down, while Josh cleaned Beth up a little bit, packing her with gauze and then asking his friend to help him wrap her up in a warm blanket. Soon she was lifted gently onto the gurney by both Josh and the other EMT, and she was taken out to the ambulance.

Mick rode with her and the baby while Josef followed in the car. On the way out to the highway, a black panel truck marked with the secret symbol of the cleaners drove by them. 'Just in time!' Josef thought gratefully.

The ride to the hospital was bittersweet for Josef--he knew he'd lost his chance for this kind of miracle, but it had been well worth the price he had paid to have Beth and the baby safe! He felt strangely choked up, but smiled as he thought about the look on Mick and Beth's faces as they gazed upon their new little son for the first time. "Good going, Buddy!" he said softly to himself.

On the way to the hospital, Josh hooked me up to an IV and Mick tried to settle the baby down. He was screaming like he was being boiled alive! We both felt terrible—he seemed to be in such distress!

"Can I pick him up?" Mick asked Josh. Chris, the other EMT was driving.

"The rules are that he has to stay strapped in—in case we get hit or something."

"Could you turn off the lights and siren, slow down to normal speed, and then I'll hold him?" Mick was obviously upset to hear his baby crying so hard.

Josh, my guardian angel, picked up his speaker and talked to Chris. We immediately slowed way down, and Josh got up and handed the bundle to Mick. Mick sat there in his still-bloody shirt, cradling his son, cooing and singing to him, and it made me warm and shivery inside to see them together. Maybe it was from the trauma I'd just been through, but I doubted it.

The baby immediately quieted as his dad sang familiar songs to him—songs he had sung to him while he was still inside of me. He looked up at me, smiling as he sang, and I thought he'd break my heart with the joy I saw in his face.

"The baby knows your voice, Mick! He's settling down just hearing you. That's so amazing!"

"I guess they hear a lot when they're still in the womb!" Josh watched in fascination too.

It was such a miracle of events, I thought, how Mick and Josef had arrived just in time and had saved me from Coraline and her evil scheme, then helped deliver our baby! And I could hardly believe we were finally safe! After a week of terror, it had all ended in our miracle! At a time like this, nothing should dampen our joy, and I tried very hard not to think of the Legion. There's no way I'd let them separate Mick from his child! The hearing was in a week! I shivered again, but not with elation.

Chris's voice projected from the speaker overhead. "Just to let you folks know, we're going to the Palm Springs Hospital, but they've been talking to your doctor, and he's informed them of everything, so you'll be in good hands."

The strange voice startled the baby and he began crying, but more softly this time, and he was rooting around Mick's chest for something to eat. Mick looked at me with a silly smile. "I'm afraid I can't satisfy his need to feed here!"

I laughed and held out my arms. He looked at Josh, who only nodded.

Mick placed the baby with me on the gurney, and Chris put up the rail to help hold him in safely. I unbuttoned my gown and touched my son's cheek with one nipple. He must have had a lot of Mick in him! He knew exactly what to do with it, and latched on hungrily. What a strange feeling! His suck was so different from—anything else I could compare to, and I laughed and looked at Mick.

"He's certainly got this part down!"

Mick was smiling broadly. "I'll say!" Mick came over and knelt by us, watching as his baby suckled hungrily. We kept looking at each other with eyes of wonder and delight. This was real! We stayed like that, with the baby eating and Mick with his arm over both of us, until we slowed and pulled into the Emergency entrance of the hospital. By then, the baby had fed on both breasts and was asleep. Mick picked him up gently and sat down as I was taken out first, then he jumped to the ground, landing so softly that the baby didn't even stir, surprising Josh, who happened to see him jump.

"Hey, man! How'd you do that! You landed like you have springs in your legs!"

"Oh, I used to pole vault," Mick said casually.

"Ah." He looked at him like he wasn't quite sure he was hearing the truth, which he wasn't, and I was laughing. Josh came over to me to say good-bye, and I reached up to hug him.

"Thanks so much, Josh. You really were my guardian angel today. Thanks for taking such good care of me and the baby."

"Hey, it was my pleasure." When he smiled, I felt warm, and thought how odd it was that a man named Josh had been my angel.

Inside, all became chaos. We were put in a curtained room together, and Mick sat, holding our son, while doctors and nurses came in and out with admission papers to sign as others checked my vitals. They said the baby had to be taken up to the maternity floor to be checked out, and I told Mick to stay with him, so he bent over me and kissed me, squeezed my hand, and said, "I'll see you up there. I'm going to watch everything they do to him, though. I'll keep him safe for you."

I watched them leave, and then it was my turn. I was wheeled up to the same floor that Mick and the baby were on, and they checked me out, saying everything looked great. I was a mess, so one of the nurses helped me sit in a shower and wash my hair and clean up to get the last remnants of my harrowing day off of me! I'd had a long, stressful week, ending with a long, stressful delivery! It felt great to be clean and dry, in a clean gown and robe, not much for looks, but washed! They took me to my room, and Mick was waiting there, sitting in a big rocker-recliner, holding the baby. I was so happy to see them!

"Mick! He's okay?" I was concerned, because the stress of my kidnapping had probably caused my early labor. Still, he was only a little early. I stretched out on the bed, glad to have all of this over, and so grateful! Then I saw a familiar face behind a bunch of pretty flowers in the doorway.

"I was just thinking of angels, and here you are! One of my very own personal angels!" I said as Josef knocked lightly and walked in. He didn't even look wrinkled! He came over and handed me the flowers smiling sweetly, then kissed me on the cheek. "You did great today, sweetheart. Just great. I'm in total awe of you!"

I started to cry. "It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been there, Josef! Come here!" I held my arms open and he bent over to embrace me, hugging me hard. I sensed the emotions in him too, and kissed his cheek when he rose. "I'll never be able to thank you enough."

He stood up slowly, looking down at me with a expression of tenderness that was uncharacteristic for him. "You don't have to thank me, Beth. I can't say I've ever, in 400 years, had a more productive day than today!" I laughed through my tears and squeezed his hand. He held mine for a moment, a gesture of friendship that had suddenly deepened with the days' events.

He gave me a wink. "I'd better see who this baby looks like! I hope it's not the milk man! He's not all that good looking!"

He took a step over to Mick and the baby and stared down at our new son. He broke into a wide grin. Well, he's definitely a cute baby! Not all of them are at this point, you know! Look at all that hair!"

"Yeah, dark like Mick's," I said, watching as Mick smiled and held his baby's tiny hand between two fingers.

"He looks so little! What did he weigh?" Josef couldn't take his eyes off of the baby, I noticed!

"Our son is six pounds, one ounce, and he's nineteen and a half inches long! So he's perfect—just needs to eat a lot and grow fast!"

Mick was wearing scrubs now, and the baby was all cleaned up too, and looked cuter by the minute. Actually both of them did! I could tell, they were bonding, with Mick holding him close, studying him, and the baby sleeping contentedly in the arms of his daddy who sang to him.

"Everything is normal? You watched them do all of the tests?" I had to know.

Mick nodded, kissing the baby's cheek as he slept in his arms. "He is so normal you couldn't even ask for a more normal boy!" He kind of smiled sideways at me and said, "Well, like Chris said, he is kind of hung, but the nurses said all newborn boys are born kind of swollen down there."

I laughed out loud, almost hooting. Josef clapped Mick on the back.

"Well, we'll just see if he shrinks, but I have a feeling he's going to be a LOT like his daddy!" I was giggling, Josef was smirking and Mick look embarrassed and happy.

"Hey, I'm going to leave you guys alone, but I'm staying in town. I'll get a new vehicle for us to all drive back home in whenever they release you. I'll be back tomorrow." He hugged us all good-bye and left. I thought that in spite of the happiness, there was a wistfulness about him.

"What's with Josef, Mick? He seems happy, but kind of sad too. Is he missing Sarah?"

Mick looked up at me with an odd look on his face. "Well, Beth, it's a little more than that, actually—he's a vampire again."

"Oh. Wow. He turned back already and Sarah isn't pregnant yet." I was thinking he'd be very disappointed! "I suppose he's terribly upset, huh? About not getting Sarah pregnant yet?"

"Well, I want you to know just how much Josef loves you, Beth." Mick was looking directly into my eyes, still holding the baby's hand, playing with tiny fingers.

"What? Mick?"

"See, Josef's human time didn't just run out--he had me turn him back today when he saw that we needed to fight both Coraline AND Cynthia to save you. He was sure I couldn't manage them by myself, and in retrospect, I'd say he was absolutely right. If Josef hadn't been there to help, this could have all ended very badly."

"He had you turn him back? Mick! He did that! And I didn't even realize—I heard a lot of fighting, but I didn't know! Oh, I feel so sad for him! And he gave up fatherhood for us, Mick! For the baby!"

"I know. I asked if he was sure, and he was."

I was stunned and silent.

"I feel guilty, but terribly grateful. Oh, Josef!" Now I wanted him to come back so I could thank him for all he had sacrificed!

"Honey, if it makes you feel any better, he did it gladly. He wouldn't have it any other way. He said our baby needed us, and his was just a dream. He's rational when things fall apart—I'm not. I'm so glad he was there!"

Mick looked down at the baby. "I think he's wet. Should we change him"

"Yeah, put him on the bed here and get a clean diaper. I can't wait to see the package on this little guy!"

Mick gave me a look that was a tiny bit surprised. "Is that any way to talk about your own son?" I smiled back.

"A mother gets to check her baby out, count the fingers and toes, see whose eyes he has, whose feet, and especially, whose package!"

"Well, I'm going to be very suspicious if you say he looks like an old boyfriend of yours!"

I laughed. "Not a chance!"

I opened up the diaper and took a peek and laughed! "He's like you Mick! Exactly! Just in miniature!"

"Hah! You think so? So when people ask who he looks like, you'll say, 'Well, he has my eyes and Mick's junk!'"

"I might!"

"Yeah! You might!" He sat down while I finished up and re-swaddled him, then held him against me, thinking how amazing and warm and sweet he was!

Mick sat down on the end of my bed. "The nurses need to know if we want to schedule a circumcision. I guess they have a specialist who comes over every other day. Tomorrow is the day, so if we want it done. . ."

"Well, I think that's totally up to the parent with a penis, Mick. I have no preference, but I've read that most men like their little boys to look like they do."

"So, if we don't have him cut, you're okay with that? I thought it was kind of back in style now."

"In my parenting books, it says it's about sixty/forty right now, so he won't be a freak in the locker room if he's intact."

"Fine with me if we don't have to hurt him."

"Fine with me too. There! That was easy! Now how about his name?"

"Yeah, that."

Mick was quiet, for a while looking at the baby. "Do you still like Eliot?"

"Really, it doesn't matter—what about some of the names from the book? We've been looking at the Scots/Irish names a lot, and I love them. Your heritage. Mine is all English and Welsh, which is kind of boring."

"Ian? You liked that one."

"Hmmmm. Let me think. Patrick was your brother's name, right?"

"Yeah. And your father was Bryan. That's good too."

"What goes with St. John? I love Mick, but that's taken."

He laughed. "Lucky kid!" He was watching our son so intently, and I loved watching his face as he drank in this miracle he had started. What a great father he was going to be!

"Well, we can't do Patrick Michael."

"Why?"

"His initials would be PMS! That wouldn't be good!"

Mick laughed out loud. "Probably not a great idea! So—what?"

We were quiet. I was thinking, and so was he. "Who does he LOOK like to you, Mick?"

"Besides looking like me, I'm not sure."

"He DOES look like you! Exactly like you! I wish you had baby picture of yourself! He'd be a perfect match!"

"We have strong genes, remember?"

"You sure do, and I'm glad. I can't wait to have a little boy who looks and acts just like you!"

He smiled at me sweetly. "As I recall, I was a pretty good kid. My parents didn't have too many hard times with me! How about Eliot Michael?"

"Do you really like that? I'm okay with the other names we were considering from the name book!"

Mick was silent for a minute, looking at the baby, now sleeping on his back on the bed in between us.

"You know, I really felt like I got punched in the stomach that day in the car when we were looking for Jacob and you hinted at having my baby. I was so aroused I almost jumped your bones right in the car! And you said 'Eliot,' and all I could think of was, 'God, please let that happen someday!' and here we are."

"Here we are. Less than a year later, and we have him on the bed with us. Who'd have EVER thought this would happen!"

"Not me! Never in my life! Beth—I feel like I'm living out some wonderful dream with you, and little Eliot here—I can't imagine being more elated!"

"Me either, Mick. I love you so much. Thank you for this gift." I reached over and we clasped hands, resting them by Eliot's head.

"No, honey, thank YOU! You're the surprise here! That I could ever love someone so much, and that you'd just--have my baby--when we'd hardly even dated, and that you'd marry me without even hesitating! Especially with me--being what I am! I'm so blown away!" He shook his head as in disbelief, and my heart thumped in my chest. I cherished this man so much!

I squeezed his hand. "It's that way for me, too, Mick. I can't imagine my life without you, and now without both of you."

The baby started to rouse, and I picked him up to feed him again. Mick's eyes wore a constant expression of amazement, watching our little man eat. "Now you have to watch TWO of us eat, Mick! You might get REALLY tired of watching that!"

"I hope so, but I know that will never happen."

The baby slept in his little bed in my room right next to my bed, and Mick slept on my bed squeezed up behind me, spooning with me, holding me close all night. When the baby cried, he got up and changed him, swaddled him, and handed him to me to feed. When feeding was over, Mick put him back in his bed. It was a great way to handle things, and I got caught up on my sleep.

Josef traded the sports car in for a mini-van that was plush, cushy and comfortable. We had a car seat sent to the hospital, and as we left for the drive back home, we strapped Eliot in the back seat with me, and Mick sat up in front with Josef, who was kind enough to drive, so Mick and I could continue to watch the baby constantly. Josef had sent his pilot home with the plane the day after the baby was born, and I thanked him profusely for what he had done, getting himself and Mick to me before Coraline had a chance to cut the baby out of me! We hugged and cried as I thanked him for asking Mick to turn him back. I reminded him that Mick got me pregnant AFTER he turned back, and told Josef not to give up yet! He gently wiped the tears from my eyes and told me thanks for letting him be part of our family.

"You know, Beth, I've never seen a baby born before—it was an absolute miracle that I wouldn't have missed for the world. So thank you for allowing me to share what has to be one of the most special times of your life."

"And you helped Eliot be born! You're always going to be Uncle Josef!"

He laughed, and held my hand, helping me into the car.

On the way home, I told Josef what had happened to me with the evil twins, since Mick had only given him a few sketchy details.

"So," Josef said, "Coraline was SERIOUS? She was really going to cut you open and take the baby?"

"That's what she and Cynthia were arguing about AGAIN as you showed up to save me! Coraline's intent all along had been to kill me—she just wasn't sure if she could kill me before she cut the baby out of me, or if I had to be cut open while I was still alive!"

"No wonder you went into labor! That BITCH!" Josef was shaking his head. He turned to look at Mick briefly, and Mick didn't say anything. "I'm so sorry, Brother! Mick, forgive me!"

"It's all okay now, Josef. You really came through for us!"

"But if I hadn't been so set on having a baby, I'd have never asked you to let her go, and none of this would have happened!"

Mick sat still as a stone, then looked at his friend. "Josef—things work out the way they're supposed to work out, I think. Beth and me—that's a total miracle. The baby is too. The way we got to Beth just in time! It all worked out! But you, man, you are the hero—you turned back into a vampire for me and Beth and little Eliot. When we have him baptized, just so you know, his Saint name is going to be 'Josef.'"

I watched Josef swallow, as though temporarily choked up. "Hey, man, I'm so honored."

"And," I said, looking again at Mick, "we want you to be god-father to Eliot, if you will."

Now Josef was really quiet, and we all just sat, driving along, looking out through heavily tinted windows. When Josef spoke again, his voice crackled a bit.

"I'd be extremely honored to be Eliot's god-father!"

"Good!" Mick and I said it in unison and smiled at each other. Josef was turning into a softie! Who knew?

"Who is the god-mother?" Josef asked. I looked at Mick and he answered.

"Julia. The one Beth and I saved from Lee Jay? She's a pretty good friend of Beth's anyway, and now she loves us both so much for saving her that she'd do anything. We haven't asked her yet, but we're sure she'll say yes."

"She seems like a very nice lady. Good choice."

"We think so! Well, we sure are getting all of the details worked out, aren't we, Eliot! Now if only that Tribunal meeting were over!"

"It's coming right up." Josef said with concern. That was our only hurdle now. Eliot was here, Coraline was dead, and we were all set for a happy life if only things would go well at the hearing. If only!"

Josef helped us carry all of our things up to our apartment, then kissed me on the cheek and hugged me. "Take care, now, Beth. Get your strength back." His eyes were loving and kind, and as he pulled away, I grabbed him tightly in a bear hug.

"I can't ever thank you enough! Josef—you're so important to us! I just want you to know that—we both love you!"

He patted me on the back as I squeezed him. "I know that Beth, and it goes both ways. You and Mick, and now Eliot, well, you're my family. I'd always do anything for you—you know that too!"

I let go of him and backed into Mick's arms. He and Josef exchanged a look that only they could interpret, but they were closer than friends—they were brothers in every sense of the word.

He left, and we went to the kitchen where Mick made me a plate of eggs, then sat down next to me to have his beverage. We were almost done when Eliot began to cry.

"I guess it's a good thing you got to eat! That kid is going to take the calories right back!"

"I know! And I need to feed him! My milk is coming in, and my breasts are just so hard and tender!"

"Mmmm! They sound delicious! I'll be right up so we can all sit and enjoy one more meal together!"

I smiled and we held hands as we headed for our bedroom, where we had set up a cradle and changing table until the baby got a little older. I didn't want him alone in his nursery until he had started to sleep through the night, even with monitors! Mick was happy to share the bedroom with him, anyway, so we turned on our fireplace and sat around listening to Mick play the guitar and sing while Eliot drained me in a good way.

A couple of days later, we all went to see Dr. Mineo. He took extra time to check me over from head to foot, and referred us to a pediatrician for Eliot. He said Mick had done a wonderful job delivering the baby—I hadn't torn at all, and should heal quickly. He said we should try to abstain from intercourse for six weeks to be sure I was all healed inside, but said to at least wait until I had stopped bleeding and felt okay. So—Abstinence! Not a fun thought for either of us!

Eliot checked out fine two days later, and had gained eight ounces already! He was a champion eater, that one!

We came back home that afternoon and settled the baby down for a nap, then went to bed and cuddled. It was strange to be so close and not have sex, but we were trying to be good. We kissed and fondled, but Mick couldn't even suckle my breasts! He'd tried and gotten a mouthful of milk! Not good for a vampire! I finally fell asleep, but this was our last night together before the hearing, and both of us were so tense we could barely breathe. I kept waking up througout the night to find Mick awake, staring at me, and the kissing and cuddling would start up anew each time.

"I can't even imagine a life without you, Mick. Tell me they won't take you away from me!" I whispered.

He hugged me closer and kissed me on my forehead. "I want that so much, sweetheart. If prayers can be answered, and after this past year, I'd say yes to that, I'll be here with you and Eliot for as long as you want me."

"Forever, Mick. I can't ever leave you. I'm sure now—you have to turn me sometime so I never have to leave."

"Like you said before, we can wait until Eliot is a little older and figure that out. Let's get through this hearing first. Forever can wait until tomorrow is decided."

"I guess you're right. I'll settle for tomorrow if you can stay with us."

"Me too, honey. Believe me! I just want to stay with the two of you right now! I can't even think of the future!"

Maybe he couldn't, but I could, and a future without him was too painful to contemplate.

--


	29. Chapter 29

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE – "The Legion"**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

We all went to the hearing together, Me, Mick, Eliot, Josef and Sarah. It wasn't a happy trip, and we barely spoke a word the whole way to Century City. Mick was driving my new SUV—he wanted me to have a big, safe vehicle for the baby, and it was nice to have something roomy enough for us all to ride in together.

It was a cold, foggy night, so I was all bundled up in my winter coat and boots, and had wrapped Eliot in so many blankets that he'd probably get hot. We put him in his stroller and we all walked together down the aisles set up between folding chairs.

Mick kissed me good-bye as he and Josef left to go sit with the others who had been summoned. I watched them walk to their fate, heads held high, shoulders squared, and thought again how empty my life would be without my husband. A baby was wonderful, but Mick! He was my other half, my equal, my tender but passionate lover, my "true north," and, for a very long time, my very best and dearest friend in the whole world. Losing him would be to lose such a huge part of myself that I wondered if I could ever put the pieces back together again.

As other people arrived and the place began to fill up, I was glad we'd come early so we could sit near the front, allowing us to see everything pretty well—and, being human, we could hear what would be said, since there would be no microphones. I saw Ben sitting over on the opposite side of the seating sections, on an aisle, maybe for a quick getaway. Sarah and I held hands as the proceedings began.

A very tall, very virile-looking man walked out onto the platform and put his hands on the podium. He was about six feet six or seven inches tall, and he was muscular under his simple tan suede tunic, worn over a dark-colored tight cotton shirt that seemed to emphasize his enormous biceps. He wore black pants that were made of a clingy fabric which didn't leave much to the imagination! They were tucked into high black leather boots worn over his huge feet. The whole ensemble looked both foreign and terribly expensive. He was strikingly blonde, his hair parted down the middle of his head and pulled back into a long pony tail held with a leather thong. His features were sharp and symmetrical, his eyes a light piercing blue, and I thought that if I had ever wondered what a Viking looked like, he was it. He had an accent as he addressed the crowd, telling us his name was, what else, Erik, and he was from the World Tribunal of the Vampire International Association.

"I have been asked to oversee these proceedings, since there has been a change in the Legion Elders recently in your Vampire Nation here in Los Angeles, California. There are serious charges to deal with tonight, as well as many commendations to be handed out to vampires who have been instrumental in helping the Vampire Community."

My stomach lurched when he mentioned the serious charges. I could see Dr. Mineo sitting next to Guillermo and wondered if they were here for commendations or condemnation! I was such a bundle of nerves! Eliot, thank goodness, was sound asleep! I was so shaky I didn't even trust myself to take him out of the stroller!

"Commendations first." He stood watching as several men came out carrying what appeared to be curved swords which were shiny even in the dim light, and they looked to me a whole lot like the thing Mick had hidden in a box somewhere, an implement used to cut the heads off of vampires. This did nothing to calm me down!

Erik called out several names, one-by-one, including "Luke Mineo," and these vampires came happily to the podium to receive commendations for their fine service to the vampire community, from cleaners to club owners and on and on. I watched as our doctor shook Erik's hand.

"Dr. Mineo has served the vampire community well by treating the unusual cases some vampires present to him with confidentiality and caring. We want to thank you, Doctor, so please accept this little token of our appreciation. He, like others before him, received one of the fancy weapons, and he left the stage and went to sit with his family. After our doctor, Guillermo was called to receive accolades for all of the services he provided to the vampire community, from making available a non-violent source of much-needed blood to watching out for the stray vampire who showed up now and then in the morgue by accident! He took his present and sat down by his girlfriend.

The commendations went on for a while. Virginia Dare was interesting—she was a columnist for the LA Times, and treated the vampire news stories with care and discretion. Logan received high marks for helping the Vampire Community track and trace needed information, and special mention was made about his help with the Emma Monaghan incident. He grinned broadly and shook Erik's hand, then did a little bow to the audience, causing cheers and clapping. After the presents were all handed out, I got very jittery and reached again for Sarah's hand.

Erik turned from good-natured to serious now. Of course!

"Unfortunately, we always have problems to deal with at the time of our yearly Tribunal." He called out a name I wasn't familiar with—it was a homeless vampire who was known to target children. I saw Mick sit up straight, and guessed he knew this man.

"Since we have no evidence that you have ever turned or killed a child, which would be an offense punishable by death, you are hereby sentenced to banishment. You must leave the Los Angeles area within twenty-four hours, and should you ever return, you will pay for that foolishness with your life. Wherever you go you will be watched, and should you not change your ways, your life will be called in. Do you understand?"

The man was shaking, and nodded.

"Depart, and do not return!" Erik said in a booming voice.

The next two were called up together. Again, Mick seemed to be at attention. I could only see the back of his head, but he knew who these two stupid-looking vampires were as well!

"For kidnapping and imprisoning fellow vampires, holding them without a warrant, and nearly killing one of them due to neglect, you are sentenced to death by fire." Erik was silent, and so was the crowd. It seemed the light-hearted times were over, and he hadn't yet gotten to Mick and Josef. I was trying hard not to tremble with fear. The next man brought out was a very sickly looking vampire in a wrinkled suit and tie. He was sentenced to the same fate for masterminding the scheme the two idiots had been involved in. It didn't take much thought to figure out that they all were responsible for kidnapping Mick and Josef. Inwardly I was glad they would die. They really had almost killed my husband!

Other vampires were sentenced to banishment, death by fire, hours of community service to be spent with the Legion, or, for an unlucky few, sentenced to hours helping the cleaners do their work. None looked happy, but the ones who escaped death looked relieved.

Sarah and I waited in silence squeezing hands as vampire after vampire was called to appear before Erik, to be sentenced. Mick and Josef still sat there until they were the only two left. After what seemed like an eternity, they at last called were called up together. I didn't know what to make of that—was it a good thing or a bad thing? The only other two who had been charged together were the stupid ones, and they were going to die! My heart sank and my stomach rolled over.

Erik began his speech. "I have called you together because you were both involved recently with Coraline DuVall, who would also be appearing before me tonight, but she has been eliminated very recently by one of you, as I understand the events of the past week." Both Mick and Josef remained still as statues. "Were she here, I'm sure she would want to speak on her own behalf. Because she is not here, her brother will answer to her charges. Lance?"

Lance walked onto the stage, tall, dignified and swaggering, wearing a slight smirk on his face. I shuddered with fear. Coraline's brother! 'OH, GOD!' I pleaded inside my head, shooting a prayer to heaven. 'Please help them! Please!'

Erik spoke again. "We have serious charges to bring up now, so everyone quiet down." I hadn't even noticed that the crowd had begun murmuring when Lance appeared, and it sounded like a very loud swarm of bees, which continued as Lance took his place on the stage, just to the left of Erik. They quieted right down when Erik smacked his hand on the podium. He looked at the two men facing the charges and spoke evenly.

"Josef Kostan. You are a great benefactor and benevolent contributor of money and business savvy to causes both human and vampire. For that we are grateful, even though it does put you in the news way too often for comfort. You generally keep a watch on the vampire population and take care of issues which need to be remedied with swift, decisive action, and this we commend. However, we also know that you have been responsible for the elimination of many members of the vampire population, and not all have clearly been in violation of any Legion rules. How do you answer this charge?"

"I assure you, I do not eliminate anyone without just cause."

"Just cause in your own mind, Mr. Kostan. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, but caution you to be careful when eliminating other members of the Vampire Nation. Our code of conduct states that we do not take a life without severe provocation or good cause. I would appreciate very much your adherence to this rule."

"Of course."

Now, Mr. Kostan, of late, you seem to have become very sympathetic to all things human, which does not please us. We are Vampires! We must always remember this! Josef, is it true that you now cohabitate with a human woman whom you once tried to turn unsuccessfully?

Josef was a statue. "That is true."

"And this relationship, as I understand it, was the reason behind a very public attempt on your life, where your office was blown up in a manner which should have killed you--but you survived. I congratulate you on your survival, of course, but you must understand--we in the Vampire Nation cannot risk such exposure to the media. You must understand the danger this may have posed to all vampires."

"I do understand. This situation was handled and will never again be a problem." Erik merely nodded and went on.

"Josef Kostan, is it true that you have even accepted the "Cure" from Coraline Du Vall?"

"That is also true."

"Ms. Du Vall has handed this Cure out at random without permission to do so, and without thinking of the consequences of her actions! I warn anyone who is approached for any reason by someone offering a Cure for vampirism to not take it! It is strictly forbidden! Perhaps this is news to most of you, but I am telling you this to save you from being reprimanded, although we have increased our security to the point where this Cure should never again be offered to the general population." This provoked only a small buzz in the crowd.

"Mr. Kostan, were you aware that taking the Cure from anyone other than one of the Legion of Elders is strictly forbidden?"

"I'm sorry, sir, I was not aware that the Cure was forbidden to the Vampire Nation. I did know that it was originally made to protect vampires from being killed. That is all I knew."

"And knowing the Cure was for the sole purpose of masking vampirism during a 'cleansing,' of sorts, I must ask you: Did you feel you had a good reason to take the Cure? Was your life as a vampire somehow threatened to exposure?"

Josef cleared his throat. "No, it was not. This compound was offered to me, and I took it. I saw no harm in being temporarily human, since I knew I would revert to being a vampire again."

"Ah! And you are a vampire now!"

"Yes, I am."

"So this 'mortal cure' wore off?"

"It would have worn off, yes. I needed to return to my nonhuman state and was turned back into a vampire before the cure wore off."

"HAH!" Erik looked out at the crowd. "You see? Being human is not all some of you think it to be! Vampires are far superior to humans, is that not correct, Mr. Kostan?"

"In many ways, yes."

"Who turned you back into a vampire, Mr. Kostan?"

"My friend, Mick St. John."

"Very interesting. But you are no longer human."

"No, and I will never be human again."

Sarah squeezed my hand and wiped both of her eyes with her other hand.

"What you state is the truth. You will never again be human." He faced the crowd to explain. "All of the Cure has been found and will be kept locked and sealed so this kind of mistake will never happen again." He paused, raised an eyebrow at the audience to emphasis, then continued.

"We must also assume you are responsible for the deaths of Coraline Du Vall, and her friend, Cynthia Xavier Davis, since you have been identified as the person who called to have a cleanup last week. Am I correct in that assumption?"

Josef was suddenly angry—we could see the change in his posture. Apparently the calls to the Cleaner were anonymous to everyone but the Legion! No wonder he was mad!

"Assume what you will! I would never kill a vampire if my own life or the life of another vampire were not in serious jeopardy!"

Erik gave him a nod. "Well spoken, Sir. A justifiable killing is better for you." He turned to Lance. "This charge against Mr. Kostan also is related to charges against your sister. Are you ready to hear the charges and speak for Miss Du Vall?"

Lance nodded. "I am."

"Coraline Du Vall, were she here, would face many very serious charges, the worst of which would be her escape from the Tribunal prison in Paris. This crime alone would carry the death penalty. Have you anything to say to this charge?"

He looked at Lance, who merely shook his head and said "No. I am as surprised as anyone that she was able to accomplish this feat."

Erik proceeded. "Miss Du Vall would also be charged with stealing the Cure from the Tribunal safe in Paris, and then handing it out to the general vampire population as she alone saw fit. This charge would also be punishable by death. Have you anything to say on your sister's behalf regarding this serious allegation?"

Again Lance shook his head, saying decisively, "No, except that her goal was to try to find a renewable source for the Cure."

"And was this done with permission from the International Tribunal?"

"No, she took it upon herself to seek a permanent cure. I do not know her reason for this, but suspect it had to do with her ex-husband, Mr. St. John."

"She also nearly used up the entire stock of this compound in her endeavors to make more, plus, as you have stated, she was seeking to find a cure that would be permanent, and she did this without the knowledge or permission from the International Tribunal."

Lance nodded. "This is true."

"It's very fortunate, Lance, that you found her before she had squandered the entire stock of the compound!"

"Yes. I knew I must find her and the Cure before it was completely depleted, never to be found again."

"Very well. For these serious charges, we find her guilty and would sentence her to death. Do you agree with this verdict?"

Lance nodded. "Yes, that would be the appropriate dispensation of justice."

Erik looked at Josef, then at Lance. "Do you hold Mr. Kostan responsible for your sister's demise? He has stated it happened when he was defending himself against her."

"Coraline would have died by fire tonight anyway. I hold no animosity toward Mr. Kostan. Frankly, I must say I would have done as he did were she trying to kill me, and I have no doubt she would have killed him and Mr. St. John if she could have."

Erik looked at Josef. "This is most generous of the victim's brother to say this. We will assume you killed Miss Davis and Miss Du Vall in a fight for your life. Would that be a correct assumption?"

"Yes it would."

"Josef, for your indiscretions, we do hold you responsible; however, balanced against your good deeds, this reprimand will be very lenient. We therefore offer you a choice: First: One year in Copenhagen serving a term with the International Association under the auspices of the World Tribunal, offering us your help in matters pertaining to business and money. We could use a businessman like yourself, and we hope you will choose this option, which must seem to be punishment to you, but is actually a great honor! We do realize this option will no doubt cause you some hardship with the running of your own business matters here, so we are willing to give you a short time to get your affairs in order. Understand that you would have no contact with anyone outside of the Tribunal for the one year term you would serve there."

Josef blanched, then nodded, but remained silent.

"Mr. Kostan, do you have any questions about this first disciplinary option?"

Josef seemed speechless. "No. but you're right--I would need time here to wrap some things up."

"Of course. And as I have said, we fervently hope you will choose this option. However, due to your present involvement with a human, we do offer you one other option."

Josef looked at Erik, waiting for the alternative reprimand, hoping it would allow him to stay in the L.A. area rather than having to leave for an entire year!

"The second option, Mr. Kostan, is to re-join the mortal coil." Erik stated this succinctly and Josef's eyes popped wide open.

A gasp went up from the spectators, and I gasped as well! What was he talking about? The crowd was now roaring, and Erik had to pound on the podium with his hand once more, quieting everyone at once. He addressed the crowd. "Yes, this is an entirely new punishment. For an explanation of option two, Lance will speak." Erik stepped away from the podium, and Lance stepped up to it, placing his hands on either side of the stand.

"I hear you all uttering your surprise at the suggestion of rejoining the mortal coil, but I tell you, it is now possible. For the present, this new compound will be used only as a punishment. You see, my sister, Coraline, was heavily invested in finding out how to make this Cure permanent. It seems as though some of us actually want to grow old and die! Fools!" He laughed haughtily, then continued.

"With much money invested in research, our partners in France have finally come up with a compound which is not mortal, but which we believe will cure vampirism permanently. From all testing we have done on volunteers in Europe, it seems to simply turn a vampire back to the human state he or she was in when turned, so anyone who was turned at the point of death as a human would not want this compound! This permanent Cure IS a death sentence! For some who were turned at the point of human death, it would be an immediate death sentence; for others, a delayed death sentence, but you understand that mortality has its limitations.

I realize this is cause for alarm for most of you, but as I have said, this compound is heavily guarded and will not be available to the general vampire population at any time. I assure you, this choice, Mr. Kostan, must be taken very seriously, for once you are human, you will begin to age and die, as humans do, and there will be no possibility of ever returning to life as a vampire. We have even found this Cure to be very effective at preventing a human from being turned, so, it may be used at some point in the future as a sort of 'inoculation against turning,' if you will. Do you understand what I am saying, Mr. Kostan?"

"Yes—I understand that this is a permanent reversal of vampirism."

"Very good. Now I give the proceedings back to Erik."

Erik thanked Lance and took over again. "Mr. Kostan. As Lance explained, you must be very sure of your choice. Neither option will be revocable once your choice is made. So—Tell me which you choose: One year in Copenhagen? Or forever rejoining the mortal coil?

I could see the agony in Mick's face as he watched his friend decide. When at last Josef spoke, it was without any hint of hesitation or regret. "I will serve my year in Copenhagen, with the understanding that at the end of this term, I will be allowed to return to my life here without any repercussions."

"Very well, Mr. Kostan. I feel this is a good choice for you, and we will certainly appreciate having you in our offices abroad. We will allow you one week to tie up your loose ends here, and then you will be escorted to Copenhagen where you will live for a period of one year without contact with anyone outside of the Tribunal. Are we agreed?"

"Agreed."

"Very well. You may leave."

Mick looked stricken. A year of not seeing his dear friend and mentor! I could see the agony on his face, mixed with the fear for what was coming to him! Sarah was crying next to me, and I found myself in tears as well. But now it was Mick's turn, and I dreaded what was coming.

Erik addressed my husband as the last order of business. "Mick St. John. Private Investigator! Once married to Coraline Du Vall. We have no proof that you were involved in her recent demise, along with her friend, but we cannot help but wonder. We are fairly certain that the two ladies kidnapped your wife a few weeks ago."

Mick only nodded.

"The charges we were going to levy against your ex-wife would have been serious enough for her to be sentenced to death, but she also turned you without asking permission of either yourself or her family, and that is not tolerated in the Vampire Nation, as you well know. We know that she killed her lover, Hank Mottola. His body was traced back to the garbage shoot in her apartment building, and for the crime of exposing a vampire body to the mortals without calling in the Cleaner to handle the matter in such a way as to prevent exposure, she would, again, be sentenced to death. I understand she has caused many problems for you, and for any harm she may have caused your wife and child, I am truly sorry."

He paused, and Mick stood still as a statue.

"We also appreciate your efforts to keep the Vampire Nation undercover. We know you have tracked the sire of a rogue vampire and have taken care of matters which have threatened to expose us to the human community. More recently you arranged for disposal of Hank Mottola's body before he was discovered by the mortals. You were even instrumental in taking charge of the Emma Monaghan dilemma for us. For that we commend you." Josef began clapping, and many others joined in, giving Mick a little boost of confidence. I was sure he was as terrified as I was.

"However, for putting yourself in the spotlight and allowing photographers to catch you on film in various activities which would expose you as a vampire, being hit by a car and walking away, unsuccessfully trying to kill one Lee Jay Spalding, thus allowing him to discover what you are--this is a very serious breach of our secrecy. You have risked exposing the Vampire Community through your carelessness, Mr. St. John. As you know well, this is a very serious charge."

My stomach sank.

"There is a dossier on you which I have seen. In it are photographs and written affidavits of your behavior which threatens our anonymity. As you know, keeping ourselves under the human radar is always of the utmost importance."

"Yes. I understand."

"Finally, we have discovered that you are married to a mortal woman, and that you have somehow used our Cure to become the parent of a human child."

Again there was a gasp and a lot of murmuring in the crowd. This was unheard of in the Vampire community, and it caused an uproar. Erik had to pound the podium again.

"What do you say to this charge?"

"I have no defense, Sir. I was offered the cure by my ex-wife as a small token of her willingness to try to right a wrong done to me so many years ago."

"When she turned you?"

"Yes. I never wanted to be a vampire. I had no idea SHE was a vampire! I have lived my life regretting being a vampire until I met my current wife, Beth. She alone has helped me to come to terms with what I am, and the child was a fortunate accident resulting from my days as a human, and we consider our son to be a great, though unexpected, gift."

"Ah. So you are thrilled to be the vampire husband and father of a human wife and child?"

"Yes. A vampire is what I am, and human is what they are. So be it. I've made peace with this situation, and we only ask that I may somehow be able to stay with them."

"Ah, yes. I'm sure they need you." He looked out at the crowd, and you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone wondered what would happen to Mick. He had put the Vampire Nation at risk by exposure, and this was one of their most serious charges. In Emma Monaghan's case, it was treason and punishable by death. I prayed Mick's charges would be much less severe.

"Your offenses are serious, yet you have done your community as much good as you have done them harm. I am willing to be lenient with you, as I was with your friend Josef."

I exhaled the breath I had been holding in. It sounded as though he wasn't going to sentence Mick to death, and that's all I cared about! The thought of him leaving me for a year was horrible, but as long as he wasn't sentenced to be burned, I could live with it!

Mick awaited his sentence. "For your punishment, I will offer you a choice as well: Two years working for the International Administration in Copenhagen. We can use a mind such as yours for solving some of the more troubling issues that plague us from time-to-time, and it seems we are always on the hunt for missing vampires. Most recently, we looked exhaustively for your ex-wife, whom you managed to find, which leads me to think that during your two-year term with us, we could solve many cases of missing vampires. We understand you are extremely good at your job."

"Thank you." It was said very softly. I knew Mick must be dying inside at the thought of leaving for two years with no contact with us!

I looked at him, and Mick looked stricken. I was crying openly, thinking that Eliot wouldn't have a father for two years! How could I manage? Still, he would come back to us, and I prayed a quick prayer of thanks for his life being spared.

"We offer you a second option as well, Mr. St. John. As you just heard, we have perfected the Cure, and should you decide not to come to Copenhagen with us, we would offer you the alternative of rejoining the mortal coil. We would give you one week to get your affairs in order, and then you would report to our local offices where this new compound would be administered. From that point on, you would no longer be a vampire, but you would be totally human, and, as with all humans, you would begin the aging process which, you understand, is essentially a death sentence. I would urge you to think about this very seriously before you make your decision."

Mick had a look on his face I hadn't seen before. He was struggling with his two choices, and yet there was an undercurrent of something else in his body language which even I couldn't interpret. I prayed for him to make the right decision while Erik allowed him a few minutes to think about these serious options. Nobody in the entire assembly said a word. Soon his time was up.

"Mr. St. John. You must now decide—which do you choose—Immortality and service to the Tribunal? Or humanity? Do you understand these options?"

Mick was silent, looking straight ahead, and nodded.

Everyone in the crowd, including me, held their collective breaths. Just then Eliot let out a loud howl, and Mick turned to face us, concern on his face. I picked up the baby who continued to cry. I tried to settle him down, but couldn't, and the more I tried, it seemed, the more upset he got.

I heard Mick address Erik while Eliot screamed in my ear.

"May I ask my wife and child to come up here to be with me when I tell you my decision?" Mick asked the Master of Ceremonies, who looked more intrigued than angry.

"It is a most unusual request, Mr. St. John, but I will grant it. It seems as though your family is upset. I quite understand."

Mick motioned for me to come up onto the platform, howling baby and all. I managed to get up the steps, even though my knees were shaking, and was glad to feel Mick take my hand to steady me. He then took the baby into his arms, cooing and shushing, and singing softly into his tiny ear. Erik watched him, spellbound, and shook my hand, introducing himself like a gentleman. I shook back and told him I was Beth, and the baby was Eliot Michael.

He watched father and son interact, as did the rest of the crowd, and Eliot quieted down in his father's arms.

Mick then took my hand in his, looking at me, searching my eyes, finding nothing but love and reassurance there through my tears. Whichever way he chose, he knew I would support him, and he knew I would wait an eternity for him, so two years wouldn't be so unimaginable. He nodded at me and squeezed my hand very hard, turning back to Erik as he heard him speak.

"What is your choice, Mr. St. John?"

Mick's hold on my hand remained firm as he answered with a steady voice. "I choose to rejoin the mortal coil."

A great gasp came up out of the crowd and people were talking loudly—so loudly that Erik had to smack the podium with his hand once more, which made them silent in an instant.

Erik looked at both of us, then at the baby in Mick's arms, and I saw in his eyes both sympathy and understanding. "I think you have made the right choice. In one week, this sentence will be carried out. Go now in peace to ready yourself for humanity once again." I reached over to shake his hand once more, and he whispered to us, using a voice register too low for me to understand, but Mick nodded and shook his hand as well. Then we left the stage.

"This Tribunal is now dismissed. We will reconvene in January of 2010. All of you may now leave. Those of you wishing to stay for the executions, walk to the back lot. They will be done momentarily."

He turned and left, and we got out of there as quickly as possible. We were all silent on the drive home. This night's events were simply too emotional to discuss. Josef leaving us for an entire year, and Mick becoming human again. We all needed to process what had just happened.

At home, I fed Eliot and we put him in his cradle, then we got into the shower, where we let the hot water soothe and untangle our nerves. Mick washed my hair, and I washed his. Ministering to one another was one way we could speak without words. After we dried off, we headed for bed, where we kissed and held each other, our legs entwined, our breathing unsteady with unspent emotion. Lying on Mick's chest I began to cry. It wasn't that I was necessarily sad, or even happy, for that matter, I was unsettled about the huge change coming up, yet I was also simply relieved to have Mick here with me, and I had to let go of the anxiety that had kept me in bondage for so long. I felt the steadiness of his hand on my head as I cried tears of very mixed emotions. He was silent, and I doubted he knew what to say to me. Hell, I didn't know what to think! This was so unexpected! Yet, Mick was here in bed with me, and I concentrated on that. I could have lost him tonight, but God and the Universe seemed to be giving us our chance to remain a family after all.

--

"Josef! I can't believe you have to leave me for a year!" Sarah was beside herself with grief.

"I know, Sarah, it hurts me too. Honey—I just got you back!" He pulled her close to him and held her while her tears wet his shirt. "You don't wish I'd chosen to be human, do you?"

"Oh, honey! I don't care if you choose to be a monkey! I'd still love you!"

"Sarah, sweetheart. I do love you too."

"Will you show me how much?"

He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. "Of course I will! If you like, I'll show you all night long!"

She nestled her head into the space between his neck and shoulders and wondered how she would ever get through an entire year without him!

--

Mick was unsettled when he heard Beth begin to cry and wondered if she might be mourning the end of their life as they knew it. Would she still love him as a human when she had fallen in love with him as a vampire? After several minutes, he felt he needed to ask.

"Honey, tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm just glad you're here, Mick. I've been so worried for so long that they'd take you away from me! It's all stress, and maybe some baby blues as well."

He kissed her hair and the delicious spot on her neck. He began to wonder how it would feel to be with her when he was human? What would change? What would stay the same? Anything? Everything? He was riddled with worry about their future.

"I know—you were thinking we'd have forever, Beth, and now all I can offer you is a lifetime. Are you terribly upset?" He watched her raise her head so he could see her eyes in the dark as she contemplated her life with a man who would be very different from the man she had married. Could they make the adjustment? Could she? He got a little panicked. "Beth?"

"Maybe I am upset, Mick! I can't imagine us growing old right now, since I've thought for a while now that we'd be here for hundreds of years—probably more! At first immortality scared me, but then I thought—why wouldn't I want forever if I could spend it with you? So, now I have to re-think that, and to make the adjustment from forever to a matter of years, well, it's hard for me to contemplate right now."

Mick was silent, holding her, thinking the same thing. If forever wasn't long enough, how could a mere lifetime ever be long enough?

His voice had a catch when he spoke: "So you believe I chose wrong."

"I can't say that. You had to do what you felt was right, and I'm sure leaving your new baby for two years was something you didn't want, but Mick! It's so—fatal!"

"You know me so well," he said, smoothing her hair while gazing at her through eyes of pure love with a little bit of worry thrown in. "You know it wouldn't only be leaving the baby for two years that would kill me, though! I've told you how badly I ache for you when we're apart! I need you like I've never needed anything or anyone ever before! You're air to me! You're life! How could I leave you for two years?" His eyes were swimming with emotion "The answer is--I couldn't! I can't Beth."

He pulled her over on top of him and held her very tightly. He felt her hugging him back. Her voice was soft and trembling. "I understand, but I can't help mourning all of the years we'll never have together!"

He kissed her mouth as he held her head with one hand, then pulled back and sighed deeply. "Immortality was never something that was ours, Beth. It happened to me through circumstances I couldn't control. If it hadn't happened, I'd be close to the end of my life now, so I think it happened because I was supposed to find you, Beth. Do you know how rare it is to find a love like ours?"

"I know, Mick! I think you're absolutely right—we had to find each other! And honey, I couldn't imagine two years without you either! But mortality! We'll be parted by death now, Mick!"

"And that's part of life, as you once told me." He was fingering my hair, remembering. "You said it wasn't you who was afraid of losing people, it was me—I was afraid of loss, and you thought I didn't want to get involved with you because I'd have to watch you die someday."

She remembered the words spoken to him on the roof after the Anders incident when he'd had to return to his vampire state to save her life. "I guess I did say that."

"Did you mean it? Beth? Back then it was me who struggled with loving a mortal, but now—it's you who are struggling with the same thing! I know about loss, and you were right back then—it IS a part of life!"

She looked into his eyes, and hers were swimming again with unshed tears. "I meant it! But when I said that to you, I didn't know how much I'd love you someday! You can't hold against me what I didn't yet know!" The tears overflowed and ran down her cheeks.

He wiped her tears with his fingers, gently, tenderly, understanding her and cherishing her.

"Beth--thinking back to standing before Erik on that stage tonight, with the two options before me, trying to imagine each scenario, I played them through in my mind. Honestly, at first I was thinking that maybe I should leave you and Eliot for two years, and when I came home, I could turn you, and we'd go on forever."

Beth stayed still, her head on his chest, closing her eyes while trying to picture that scenario, but not being able to clearly envision herself as a vampire, and opening her eyes in surprise.

Mick continued, "Then I thought about coming home to my wife and child who would both be like strangers. My baby boy, my _dream _for so long! My impossible dream! Beth--he wouldn't even know me by the time I came home! He'd be two years old, and he'd probably be afraid of me! I'd miss his first word, his first steps! I'd miss his first hug and kiss! I'd miss hearing him say "daddy" and hold his little arms out for me so I'd pick him up! I'd miss hearing him laugh and smile for the first time! When I thought of that, I couldn't imagine coming home to him as a stranger after I've been his daddy for nine months! Beth—I couldn't leave Eliot any more than I could leave you!"

Beth ran her fingers through his hair and rubbed his forehead, which was drawn in misery. "I know, Mick. I guess if I think about it the other way around, there's no way I'd ever leave you and Eliot either. We're together now, for better or for worse, and that's the right choice for us. You chose right, Mick."

He exhaled loudly. "I needed you to say that! Oh, Beth, I love you both so much! When I was trying to convince myself that I could leave you, I could feel that aching in my bones, and just then I heard Eliot cry, and it was suddenly all so clear to me. I couldn't go. No phone calls! Not to hear you or touch you. Not to know how my boy is growing. Not to even know if you're safe and well! I realized I couldn't bear that. I'll never let us be apart again."

Mick pulled her up to his lips and kissed her passionately and sweetly feeling her returning the same as they both began to let reason settle upon them, in each other's arms, realizing that this was the end of so many things, but most of all, it was the end of the fear of being apart again—at least for a long, long lifetime.

When they stopped kissing, she looked him straight in the eyes and asked the million dollar question.

"So it was worth giving up eternity to be with us for two years?"

"Yes." He said without hesitation and sighed, smiling through tears that were not tears of regret, but tears of relief. "As I stood up there having to decide, all of my dreams flashed through my head, the ones I told you about, and I could see us so clearly, Beth!"

"What did you see?" she whispered against his chin , her head on his chest.

"Our family! The dreams I've been having lately! We must have had at least three kids running around, and I think you were pregnant again, and I was so happy! We were all playing and laughing in a yard with a big tree that had a tire swing hanging from the lower branch, and we had one of those things in the yard that kids climb on and slide down, and we even had a dog! Beth, a vampire doesn't have a dog! And I knew that in all of my dreams, I was always human, and this dream was being handed to me by Erik. He thought he was giving me a punishment, but actually, he was giving me what I've been wanting for so long—more than fifty years of wanting." He desperately hoped she could see his vision, even though the dreams were his, not hers.

"Mick, I get it. This is what you've wanted for your whole life, and now you'll finally have it. We'll grow old together after we've raised our children—we'll rock our grandbabies, and if we're truly the lucky ones, we'll live to be 100 like in the song!"

He kissed her forehead, so relieved that she could see it too, unfolding as he did. She sighed, resigned but also content. "So you get your dream, Mick, and I get to be in that dream. Thank you. I can't imagine growing old with anyone but you."

She rose up and kissed him again, pressing her body against his in a forbidden way that felt so natural and so good that they finally had to stop before it went too far. He couldn't risk hurting her. They both groaned in frustration. Then Beth thought to ask him what Erik had said to him on the stage as they were leaving.

"I couldn't hear it, but I know you did—so it was meant only for us, not for the assembly?"

"Yeah. I guess so. What did he say to me? He said that if he were in my position, with such a beautiful family, he'd have made the same decision. He said that sometimes love is more precious when it faces mortality."

"Wow. That's kind of like what Coraline said to you."

"Yes, and it's what the pastor said at Josh's funeral too."

--

Toward dawn, Mick reluctantly went to sleep in his freezer while I fed and changed the baby and went back to sleep myself. In my dreams I was alone and terrified, searching for something, not knowing what, and not finding it, so I sat down and cried, all by myself in the dark, feeling sick and miserable. Then off in the distance I saw someone moving toward me, and as the figure drew closer, I saw that it was Mick. He was much older than thirty—maybe sixty or so, but he still stood straight and tall; he was very handsome, with just a little gray in his hair. He smiled at me with such love in his beautiful eyes, and I felt my heart race just looking at him. Momentarily he was surrounded by other people who walked up from behind him and gathered all around him, young adults, children and babies. Some of them looked like me, some like Mick, others I didn't recognize, but I knew they were all family. Mick motioned me to come to him, so I walked over and he embraced me. "Welcome home, Beth," he said, and my heart burst with love for all of them. It seemed that in our lives, DNA had made a family after all, and they welcomed me into Mick's dream.

--

One week. One week to tie up loose ends, one week to say good-bye to our friend Josef, one week to say good-bye to immortality and say hello to the mortal coil. While I had only been willing to join the Vampire Nation for a relatively short time, Mick had been part of it for more than fifty years, and even though he'd hated it for most of those years, he had come to enjoy certain benefits of membership. Now he had to think of his life without his super powers of sight, scent, supersonic hearing and superhuman strength, besides the obvious advantage of not being killed by ordinary means! He had to accept that this would now be his life, one of a vulnerable human being instead of a being immune to the common cold and more lethal dangers. I watched over the next week as he worked through the changes he'd have to make in his life. I was glad he'd at least had the six days to experience being mortal, which gave him more insight into what he was facing.

"I never thought I'd look back at my life as a vampire and wonder if I'd miss it, but I do. I wonder."

"I can understand that, Mick. You'll have to adjust to our ways now. Being mortal will definitely change your life! Have you thought about how it will affect your work? You seem to rely heavily on your unique vampire abilities to solve cases—what will it be like to be a PI when you're human?"

"Yeah, good question. I decided long ago to be a PI to try to pay back a debt I thought I owed. Now, I'll be back to being human, and I feel my debt has been paid off, so I'm thinking of giving up the investigating. To be honest? I don't think I can do my job without my vampire abilities."

"Well, you said you don't have to work—you can retire."

"I could." He said it, but I could see wheels spinning.

"What, Mick?" I sat down next to him on the bed and put my hand over his.

He looked slightly embarrassed.

"What? Tell me!"

"Um, actually I was thinking after I'm human, maybe I should call that woman back about the modeling."

"Oh really!" I was surprised, but then, when I really gave it some thought, why not? He was gorgeous! I couldn't think of a man who would make a better model!

"Now I see YOU thinking, and you think it's really a stupid idea, don't you?"

He was picking at some nonexistent lint on the blanket, fiddling so he wouldn't have to look at me. I squeezed his hand. "Honestly, Mick, you'd be the best looking model in the world. I'd want to buy anything you wore. I think you should find out if this is for real, and if it is—go for it!"

"Are you sure?" He seemed excited by the idea—I could see it in his eyes and the little smile he couldn't help.

"Absolutely! Can I come along to see this woman too? I mean, not that I don't trust you to know she's on the up & up, but I'd like to meet her. See her for myself."

He laughed shyly. "I'll tell her I'm bringing my agent along."

"Great idea!" We smiled and held hands. It was something we could look forward to after his turning back—something good.

--

Since Josef had to leave soon, we arranged to have the baby's baptism in a few days, and we also met with the priest who wanted to interview us before he agreed to bless our marriage. This was a promise we had made to each other before our first marriage, and we now felt it was time to make good on that promise. We each went to confession, and laughed afterward when we found out we had each confessed to the problem of loving our spouse too much! No wonder the priest laughed when I said that! Mick had seen him first! We agreed we were both hopeless, and we wanted to keep it that way!

Saturday night we went to church together as a family. Afterward, Josef and Julia came into the church and stood up as the godparents for Eliot, then stood as witnesses to our vows. This time we weren't nervous at all as we held hands and repeated the words which now included our promise to love one another until death parted us. Mick then surprised me by singing a very special song to me—"I Will Be Here," by Steven Curtis Chapman. With his beautiful voice singing those words right to me as he looked into my eyes and his fingers played his guitar, well, I almost melted on the spot. I seriously doubt there was a dry eye within a mile of the place. He really got me on that one!

Afterward, we all went to dinner together. I had been very surprised to see Ben at the church, and at dinner I got to talk to him. He was with Julia! While she was off chatting with Mick, I asked him about his life. He didn't seem sad anymore, and I was happy to watch him smiling for a change.

"Well, the really funny thing is that I met Julia at Mick's birthday party last November!"

"You were there with Simone! But I remember that you seemed sad, and I don't see that in you now."

"No, you don't. I met her that night and we talked for a while. The next day we met for coffee, and we ended up talking for about eight hours, through lunch and dinner. After that, we've pretty much never been apart."

"Wow! How did Simone take that?"

"Oh, she was fine. Actually, we were breaking up when we came to the birthday party. She never wants to have children, and for me, that was a deal-breaker. She really wants to find a nice vampire to date! I couldn't be what she wanted, so it wasn't meant to be, but Julia, well, she's a very special person. I'm very much in love with her."

Just then, Julia came over and sat down next to Ben. She gave him a radiant smile, then said, "That was really lovely, Beth. I just thanked Mick for asking me to be a godmother and witness for you both, so I'll thank you as well. You're very lucky! I'm not sure I've ever seen two people more in love with each other than you and Mick! That song! I thought I'd have to wring out my dress from all the tears falling on it!"

Ben gave her a look and she smiled. "Maybe Mick would sing that song for our wedding?"

My eyes popped open. "What? You two are. . ."

Julia held her hand out, and she had a block of ice on her ring finger that sparkled so brightly I could see it reflected in her eyes! She giggled and tucked an arm under Ben's and they clasped hands. I was flabbergasted!

"Well! Congratulations! You two are going to be very happy! I can see it in both of your eyes!"

It was true. They looked like lovebirds, but also looked like two old souls destined for each other who were now happy to finally be together. How nice! I smiled at Ben, who was smiling at me with a genuinely happy look.

"I guess I had to meet you to find Julia! That's how it seems to me!" He looked at her and smiled.

She looked up at him with adoring eyes. "And I'm so glad you found me!"

"Hey! Happy to help out! Be sure to invite us to the wedding!" They both nodded with stars in their eyes.

--

The day came when we had to say a tearful good-bye to Josef. He told Sarah she could stay in his place or have us help her find one of her own. He made arrangements for her to have enough money to live very comfortably, but she was beside herself that her Josef had to leave her so soon after they were reunited. I wondered if either of them would be able to withstand yet another separation—the first one for Sarah, who cried very hard in Josef's arms as they parted, the second for Josef. Only time would tell.

As we hugged him one more time, and as he kissed Eliot on the cheek, looking at him with eyes full of longing and affection, he told us that for our anniversary, he had arranged to fly us to Mexico again, with Eliot this time, and we could stay in the house as long as we wished.

That night, we were sad and full of warring emotions. Mick held me close to him and I tried to soak him into my memory, because this man I held was the only Mick I had ever really known. Tomorrow he would become a human, and I clung to his cool vampire body, so silent and so strong, trying to imagine being married to a mortal man, but I couldn't.

--

Fanfiction readers note: I cannot post the link to the song Mick sang to Beth on this site, so I hope you will go to YouTube and find it! It's wonderful, and sounds like Mick! The lyrics are overlaid on pictures of Mick and Beth walking the beach! :-) Type in the following tags: "mytokar" and "Will Be Here" and if necessary, "music video." Let me know if you think this is Mick's song!

--suzee


	30. Chapter 30

**CHAPTER THIRTY – "Moondance"**

_A Moonlight NC-17 Fanfic_

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

We didn't sleep all that well the night before Mick's return to humanity. Mick never went to his freezer that night—it was turned off anyway. I kept waking up and I'd find Mick awake and we'd kiss and taste and smell each other over and over because we knew that, come tomorrow, everything would change, and all of the little familiar things we loved about being together might disappear.

"How different will I smell to you when you're human?" I asked him, holding his hand as we spooned in our usual fashion.

He laughed softly. "You won't smell like dinner anymore, for one thing."

"Mick! You want to drink my blood? Still?" I rose and sat up on the bed, looking at him, surprised.

"Honey, you're like booze to an alcoholic. I can deny the urge, but the desire is always there." His eyes were smoldering, and I could see the want and need in them.

"You're kidding! I didn't know that!" I thought about his words for a while. This was our last night together as vampire and mortal, and we both were edgy about that. Also, we were denied our one avenue to making peace with turmoil—sex—and I suddenly had a thought.

"Do you want one last taste?"

"You're offering?" He looked at me sideways like he didn't really believe me.

"You couldn't bite me when I was pregnant, but now it would be okay, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but Beth. . .I don't have to. . ."

I held my arm to his mouth and he looked up at me, his eyes, questioning, not sure what to say.

"It's okay, Mick. It's just between us, and it is intimate, and after tonight, it will never again be part of 'us.' Please—I want you to taste me one more time." He sat up then and took my offered arm into his hands.

"Are you sure Beth?"

"I'm absolutely sure, Mick. I trust you completely, and I want you terribly. I think this might help us get through the night."

I watched as his eyes glazed over and his fangs came out. I loved the way he looked as a vampire, strong, feral, virile, and undeniably sexy! He held my arm as if it were a ruby chalice. His nose roamed over my skin and his eyes rolled back, as though he were anticipating something heavenly. My heart was thudding in my chest—he hadn't bitten me since very early in our relationship—before we knew I was pregnant. Pregnancy had ended any biting, and if Mick wanted one last taste of me, I wanted to give it to him! In fact, I wanted it very much, though I wasn't sure why. Maybe because it was the last time—ever.

I watched his vampy eyes giving me one last look, one last chance to back out, but I only nodded, then watched as he sank his fangs into my skin. I groaned with pleasure at the feel of his mouth on me, drinking my blood, making me crazy with sensations that radiated from the bite to warm me all over my body. I rolled onto my side and buried my head in his lap, untying his Silkies with one hand, searching and finding him with that hand and taking him into my mouth as he fed on my blood. It was a surprise to me that we both came very hard and very fast! It was over quickly, and I laid my head on his thigh, breathing raggedly as he put his head back and reveled in the utter bliss of what had just happened between us.

When I could breathe again, I crawled up his body and kissed his mouth, tasting my blood on his tongue, and suddenly he was insatiable. Maybe he was still half vamped, but he was full of urgency. He flipped me onto my back and was on top of me in an instant, seeking me out, pressing his body against me and rocking suggestively as we kissed. I wanted him so badly—this one last time—as a vampire, my cool, ever-hard, ever-ready lover.

"God! Mick! I want you so much!" I was pulling on his hair and he was kissing me so hard I thought my lips would bleed. He was moving back and forth on top of me and it took all of my willpower not to open my legs to him. "It's too soon, Mick. Oh, but I need you!"

My heart was beating out of my chest now and I could barely catch my breath. He must have heard it because he stopped.

"Beth! Forgive me! I'm so sorry, honey! I wasn't thinking!" He looked frustrated and repentant.

"But I don't want you to stop!" I started to cry. 'Our last night' kept going through my head. Tomorrow it would all be different! This was all I knew—My Mick! My vampire! I was choking on sobs and he picked me up and held me in his arms, pressing me tightly to him.

"Honey—I'd never hurt you! But I can't stop either!" He laid me down on the bed and pulled off my panties.

"Mick—we can't. . ."

"But we can do this!" He straddled me with his beautiful bottom facing me and put his head between my legs, tasting me one last time as a vampire, tonguing me, sucking, licking, and I bucked underneath him, flopping like a fish out of water as he kept on with his highly sensual attack, his mouth pleasuring me so deeply that momentarily I was crying out again as profound waves of bodily thrills took me over and over again under the inexorable pressure of his mouth on me. Desperate to have him, I took him into my mouth once again, sucking, pumping pleasuring him, listening to his own cries, again and again until we were both spent from exertion and were filled with a sense of utterly complete gratification. I lay breathing hard underneath the weight of his body, and I could catch my breath only when he at last rolled over and off of me. He turned around and crawled up to me, taking me in his arms again, kissing me softly and sweetly this time on my hair, my ear, my cheek and at last my mouth.

"Beth!" He breathed my name into my mouth and I could smell and taste myself on his tongue. "Oh,Beth, sweetheart, thank you! Thank you. Omigod. Oh, Beth." He trembled slightly as he held me so tightly now that I was again having some trouble breathing, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to be here forever, in his strong, cool arms, his hard, male immortal body caressing me! How could I adjust to making love to a human man after having this? I felt a tear run down my cheek.

He held me, loosening his grip slightly, but I fell asleep on top of him with his arms still holding me fast and firm. This time I slept until morning.

--

I hated seeing the sun. I had to admit that after my initial fear of being with a vampire, now my fear was _not _being with one. But today we had to face reality: Mick had to report to the Legion headquarters in Los Angeles. He was reasonably scared, since this was the end of his life, as he knew it, and the baby and I went with him for moral support.

We all entered a small office in a huge building in downtown L.A. I watched as a medical technician swabbed and injected a large amount of fluid from a syringe into Mick's hip/upper butt area. He said the warmth began immediately, spreading from the point of the injection throughout his entire body. He had to stay in the little room until his heart was beating normally on the EKG monitor, and until he had achieved a nice, steady pulse rate. Then we were able to leave. By the time we were back at the car, he was warm all over. He strapped the baby into his car seat, then got behind the wheel and looked over at me to see how I was holding up. I leaned over and laid my head on his chest, and got teary when I heard his heart beating solidly and steadily beneath my ear.

"Honey, don't cry. We're going to be fine." He smoothed my hair back, and I looked up in to his eyes, the same color as always, but changed somehow. Softer, maybe. Definitely still full of love.

"It's just that I've never heard your heart beating before, Mick. And—you're warm to my touch! It's like I'm married to a new man!"

"I am a new man. And I'm also a hungry man! What do you say we go to Muzzo's, eat steak and drink wine, and then go to the beach?"

"All right. You know, it's sunny, Mick—want to put the top down?"

"Definitely!"

Over an early dinner, we were shy with each other—it was like being out on a first date! I knew this man, but yet, I didn't, since I'd never been intimate with him when he was human. I'm sure Mick felt it too, the difference, even though it was he who had changed. Elliot was still a sleepy newborn, and we stayed for hours while Mick sampled a taste of everything he'd missed for so long! The waiter laughed every time we ordered something else! I ended up throwing a blanket over myself and the baby so Elliot could eat! I thought Mick might never stop!

After dinner, we headed for the beach. Mick wore the baby carrier and Elliot happily rode along in the little sling while we held hands and walked barefoot in the sand. This was the beginning of our new life together, and watching the ocean as the sun set made us a little melancholy. Our unspoken thoughts were no doubt in synch--someday the sunset would come for us now, and that was a sobering reflection.

However, for today we were young and very much in love with each other and our son, so I had to believe it would all work out. Mick squeezed my hand, feeling my trepidation.

"Honey—this is another beginning for us. It feels right to me."

Actually, it was how I had always pictured my life before I met Mick, and it was what Mick had always wanted, but thought was impossible. I simply squeezed his hand back.

We sat on a bench after walking a while and watched the sun set on the first day of Mick's new life, now ticking away as mine was, and, in reality, even as Elliot's life was. We stayed there, holding hands, talking about how changed our lives would be—we simply didn't know what to expect, and decided to take it day-by-day. As the moon rose over the water, each wave sparkled, highlighted by the moonlight, making a million diamonds on the tops of the waves.

Mick stood up and held his hand out to me. "May I have this dance, Mrs. St. John?"

I took his hand and rose. "Always, my dashing husband. What song will you sing for me tonight?"

"Good question." He took my right hand in his, facing me, the baby slung between us, and we got as close to each other as we could, his warm check touching mine, his beautiful voice singing in my ear. He began humming the sweet song he'd sung for me at our recent second wedding, and we slow danced, feeling close, even with Elliot between us. At the bridge of the tune, he twirled me slowly, catching me again, dancing close enough for me to feel the warmth radiating from his body, his breath carrying the words of the song to my ear and my heart:

"I will be here—you can cry on my shoulder  
When the mirror tells us we're older, I will hold you  
And I will be here  
To watch you grow in beauty  
And tell you all the things you are to me  
I will be here. . .  
I will be true to the Promise I have made  
To you and to the One who gave you to me. . ."

I held his hand all the way back to the car, amazed at how different it felt now that it wasn't cold. My cool vampire was now a very warm man, and I found myself wanting him again, and very badly at that! I decided we'd have to find another creative way to love each other tonight because I couldn't wait for him any longer, and I knew he felt the same! Our way of dealing with stressful things was always to make love, and tonight we'd need each other more than ever. I was sorry this whole thing had to happen while I was still healing from Elliot's birth!

That night, for the first time in our bed, we broke a sweat together! It was amazingly erotic and new and satisfying!

"You know what I love about this new life?" He asked me, still breathing hard from our recent activities.

"Probably a lot of things, but what are you thinking now?"

"That I don't have to go to the freezer—I can curl up with you in my arms all night long, and I can sleep with you every single night. Oh! You can't know how much I've wanted that!"

"Me too—I always feel lonely in this huge bed without you next to me!"

"I want to hold you in my arms now and sleep with you, kissing you every time you stir."

I yawned. "Oh, that sounds like sleeping together the way it was meant to be. Don't be surprised if I can't keep my lips off of you either."

"Deal."

--

When Elliot was six weeks old, we took him in for his checkup, and I had mine. We were both healthy, and Elliot had gained two pounds and three ounces! I was definitely ready to begin our new sex life, and (surprise!) so was Mick! We went out to eat, then came home and settled Elliot into his little bed. We'd had Mick's freezer moved out—Guillermo wanted it, and it was nice to have the extra room, especially with all of the baby paraphernalia around! We moved my desk out to the space where the freezer had been and put the baby's small crib in the little alcove that had previously been my office. Not that we planned to wake the baby up, but it made us feel better to put him in his own space.

Mick drew a bath and lit candles around our large tub. He put our fluffy terrycloth robes out and poured champagne. We toasted each other and sipped, practically devouring each other with our eyes. We put our glasses on the tub and began undressing each other. He still looked the same, of course, but he smelled different—now he had a more earthy, manly smell instead of that sweet aroma that always surrounded him before, which reminded me of butter cookies and cinnamon.

I still loved the taste of him, even though the taste was new, and we had found out over the past several weeks that he was beginning to produce fluid again. We thought it was still a little early for him to be able to father a child, but soon we'd have to figure out what to do about that! It was ironic that the whole time I was pregnant, he couldn't get me pregnant, and now that I might get pregnant, he might be able to get me pregnant! Life was strange. I was still nursing without giving the baby any supplemental feedings, and hadn't gotten my period yet. I'd only stopped bleeding for good a couple of weeks ago, and right now we weren't going to let the possibility of pregnancy keep us from each other! Besides, we were still at that stage of not caring if we had another baby, which was fun! Maybe after we had a few more, that would change!

"I can't tell if you want me now, Beth! I can't smell your desire, and I can't hear your heart speed up!"

"Touch me, Mick, and see if you can tell."

He ran his hands gently over me, beginning with my hair, then down to my cheekbones, feathering them with the backs of his fingers, then running his hands down to each side of my collarbone. "You're so beautiful," he said as his hands ran down me, lightly brushing over my full breasts, which, speaking of change, were a lot larger than they used to be! He placed his hands around my waist, as if measuring. "You're thinner, Beth. I'm going to have to be sure you eat enough while you're feeding the wee piglet!" I smiled. Elliot did seem to be using up a lot of my calories! Mick then slid his strangely warm hands down to my bottom, holding me there as he kissed me deeply, pulling me closer to his body. I returned the kiss ardently and pressed up against him, feeling him harden, his desire growing more and more obvious by the second. He cupped me and I moaned out loud, parting my legs slightly to give him easier access as I felt a hot burst of desire go through me, moistening me where his hand held me. I was breathing fast now, and so was he. As he slid his finger into me, he smiled. "Oh. I can tell now, sweetheart—you want me!" Still smiling, his lips came down on mine, and he kissed me again, a kiss full of promise, want and need.

"I do want you!" I said huskily, putting my arms up around his neck, running my hands up through his hair, nipping his lower lip, then opening my mouth to welcome his tongue. Soon his fingers down below weren't enough—I wanted so much more! "Mick, let's get into the water."

He got in first and held his hand out to help me into the deep soaking tub, big enough for two to play in, and it smelled of vanilla and something else—cinnamon!

"Mick! The water smells kind of like you used to smell!"

"Really? I smelled like that to you?"

"Not exactly, but pretty close!" We smiled and hugged. Human or vampire, he was beautiful to me and I was desperate for all of him! He lowered himself down into the water, lying on his back, leaning his head against the back of the tub, looking up at me, holding his arms up for me to come to him. I sank down on top of him and covered him with my body, kissing him deeply, loving the feel of his wet skin under me, loving the feel of his obvious desire under me. The water was warm and lovely, and so was he, and without much thought, I moved so that I was straddling him. He held me around my waist as I slowly lowered myself onto him until I had him completely enclosed within my body. He sighed and arched his back slightly, closing his eyes, concentrating on the sensations, then opening them again, saying how much he loved me with his tender gaze.

"Does it hurt, Beth? Go as slow as you want—I don't want to hurt you—and I want to savor every moment. Ahhhh. Oh, you feel so good around me, so warm, so tight—I need you so. . ."

Taking him into me had only hurt for a moment, and now I was simply on fire with need and want. "It doesn't hurt, Mick, and I want you so much, I don't know if I can go slowly!"

I started out carefully, beginning to move on top of him in a cautiously slow rhythm, feeling him moving gently under me as we began once more to get back to normal, dancing the erotic dance that belonged only to us. It had been so long since the last time we were together like this—since before Coraline kidnapped me!

"Oh! Oh, Beth, I've missed this so much!" He closed his eyes in ecstasy as I moved slowly on top of him, but then he opened them again to watch me in motion above him. I enjoyed seeing the look in his eyes as they roamed over me like a hungry lion ready to devour its prey. I only wanted to _be_ his prey! I imagined my own eyes were raking over him in similar fashion, and both of us were trying to hold back a dam that was ready to burst.

I sped up the rhythm, aware that my breasts, now heavy and full, were swaying close to his face, and he seemed mesmerized by the motion. Both of us were new to each other for different reasons, and the excitement of exploring each other in our new bodies added to our enjoyment. Need took us over as we rubbed ourselves together. I wrapped my legs around his body for deeper contact and felt his hands grip my bottom as they began to slide me back and forth at a pace that was growing faster by the minute. We sighed and enjoyed the sensation of our joining, concentrating on every little movement, aware of each other in a way that we hadn't been for weeks. He pulled one hand away from my bottom and inserted his fingers between us where our bodies were intimately connected, and the friction he created there had me off in about two seconds. My head went back and I arched as I cried out in delight, sure my voice was loud enough to wake the baby, but he didn't seem to be paying any attention!

I groaned as I felt Mick's mouth latch onto one of my breasts, suckling hard as I came, adding to my pleasure, and I cried out again, this time accompanied by his voice as he pressed me to him forcefully, both hands again on my bottom, sinking himself deeper and deeper into me, and losing himself completely. I felt him come inside of me, which was different now, and so erotic that I began to feel myself going over once again, sighing and calling out loud as his hot seed spurted inside of me, as he moved within me, hard and deep, causing me to spasm in rhythm around him at the point where our bodies became one, my body gripping him firmly as our shared pleasure exploded and lit up the atmosphere around us.

"Oh MICK! Omigod!" I was holding onto his shoulders, my eyes still closed as the last waves of pleasure left me glowing in their wake.

When I opened my eyes, I gasped and he laughed. He was covered with milk! His hair was sticky, his face had milk running all over it, and I looked down, surprised to see the two white fountains shooting like Super Soakers in a back yard water fight! My milk was dripping white off of his chin and running down his chest, into our bath water, making it creamy white!

"Ah!" I exclaimed in surprise.

He was laughing with his mouth open, his tongue sticking out to catch the spray. I giggled, watching my cute, happy husband with fascination as he slurped and swallowed the milk shooting into his face. Pretty soon, we were both laughing so hard we started sliding down into the water. He went under, and so did I, where I kissed his milky mouth with mirth and passion. We surfaced to get air, and he moved and slid up next to me, lying on his side, facing me. He put an arm under my head and kissed me until we were both breathless and aroused all over again. We began to laugh again, giddy with love and hilarity over the funny things that happened to humans.

"I've never had a milk bath before, honey, but I hear they're good for your skin. Thanks for adding that to the other stuff I put in the water!"

"I didn't know they'd DO that! Look at all this milk!"

"I love it, and I love you." He pulled me underneath him as he now pinned me down with the weight of his body. We were kissing deeply, passionately, leading up to more need and want. We kept giggling and splashing around in our milk bath, completely insane with love and lust, and overjoyed that everything still worked just as it had before the birth and the un-turning! I could see it in his eyes—the same thing he was no doubt seeing in mine--we were still wild and wanting when it came to this part of 'us.'

"Mick," I said breathlessly. "Take me to bed."

"Just what I had in mind."

We hurried through getting dry, and I even skipped blowing my hair dry to get into bed faster. It was weird that we both brushed our teeth now—a few weeks ago I'd had to show him how to floss! And even crazier, it was now _me_ who got my kicks watching HIM pee! It was like the early days of our relationship in reverse, and we found all of it pretty funny! He told me he couldn't pee with me watching, though, so mostly I tried to let him be alone. It wasn't that he was shy, it was just that, frankly, he got too hard to pee when I was near him. I thought that was really cute! Soon we were ready to hit the sheets.

Mick was in bed first. I hurried up and got in too, already desperate to make love again. I wondered if he could, and afterward he told me he wasn't sure if he could either, but we really didn't notice a whole lot of difference in our ability to get each other aroused and off, and ended up making up for all of the weeks we had missed by staying busy most of the night.

When Elliot cried, Mick got up and changed him and put him in between us, watching us while he fed, then putting him back to bed when he was full as a little tick. He was filling out and getting cuter every day, looking more and more like his daddy as time went on. We weren't sure about the color of his eyes, yet—they were still pretty dark. It would be fun to see the color emerge! Who would win? Gray-blue and dark? Or blue and light?

When we finally got too tired and sleepy to continue trying to satisfy our insatiable urges, Mick curled up around me and tucked me inside of his body, as usual, one arm over me, holding my fingers in his as we got sleepier. I thought I heard him whispering and squeezed his hand.

"Are you talking Mick?"

"Yeah. I'm thanking God for you and Elliot, and for being able to be here with both of you. I love you so terribly much, Beth."

Tears stung my eyes. "I love you more, Mick."

I fell asleep listening to his lips moving next to my ear, aware of the warmth of his body behind me.

--

The next morning, he made breakfast for both of us, and for the first time since we had met, we shared a meal at home.

"Coffee! Mick! You made coffee and it smells heavenly!" I sniffed the air, enjoying the aroma of pancakes, sausages, eggs and COFFEE!!!

"I just got some Caribou, thinking you'd be up for a cup here and there, now that you're not pregnant." He poured me a generous mug—one for me, one for him in the clear mugs from which he used to sip his blood.

We toasted and clinked our mugs. "Here's to our first home-cooked meal as a family!"

"Amen to that!" We sipped and smiled, both rolling our eyes at how good it tasted. "Let's get you fed, now! You need extra calories, so eat hearty! I made a lot!"

Elliot was sleeping in his little infant seat at the end of the table while Mick and I watched each other through smiling eyes. It was so fun to watch him EAT! I now totally understood his fascination with _me_ eating! His appetite was generous, and I loved watching his Adam's apple move up and down when he swallowed. I had to admit to being in lust with his strong neck muscles! I was smiling behind my glass of orange juice when he looked at me and wondered if I was laughing.

"What—do I have food on my face?"

"No, honey, but it's so fun to watch you eat. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching you."

"Well, there's a switch from the old days, huh? I guess we'll just get off on watching each other now as we do our cute little human things." He gave me a smile that melted me. That smile!

We were laughing and enjoying being together, sharing food, talking and eating each other alive with our eyes. We were so happy to have the difficult things behind us that we laughed like little kids, then ended up on the rug on the floor, wrestling around until we were breathless and naked.

In a second he was inside of me again, holding my hands over my head against the floor, pinning me under his body as he ravished me thoroughly and hungrily. We moved together, creating friction, and it was so strange to make love to a man who was hot to the touch! He was sweating and so was I! He moved in and out of me as I rocked him back and forth, setting the rhythm. He kissed me, deeply, desperately, his heart pounding, his body slick with sweat, and it was so intense and erotic and so completely different from before that I lost my head and began to push against him harder and harder as he plunged himself into me, relentlessly, in a constant rapid rhythm until he finally shoved me over the edge into the blissful abyss that swallowed me completely as I cried out his name.

"Mick! Oh, yes!!! He didn't stop, but allowed my cries to spur him on into a frenzy until at last he found his own euphoria, and as he groaned above me, arching his back, I again felt him release his hot seed into me, making me cry out even louder as he pushed and pushed me on and on and on, feeling the incredible human feeling of his slick fluid inside of me, with his slick body moving over me, his heart pounding in my ears, his warm, wet tongue taking possession of my mouth, and I came until I thought I might die of pleasure. When it was over, he collapsed on top of me, still breathing hard, and I ran my fingers through his damp hair, loving him all the more, my very human lover, my husband, my life.

After several minutes, he withdrew himself from me and rolled us into our usual spoon position, pulling me up close to him, his arm around me, kissing my hair, murmuring his love for me.

"I love you so much, Mick." I clasped his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. "I'll love you forever."

"It's not forever anymore, Beth."

"Yes it is—I don't know which of us will leave this world first, Mick, but whether it's you or it's me, there's life after this, and I'll love you there forever. We might be mortal, but we do have eternity, and I plan to spend that with you."

"You have a deal, there, sweetheart," he whispered in my ear. "So, it's still forever then?"

"Yes, Mick. It's still forever."

--

In March Sarah told us she was pregnant. She figured it happened the night before Josef left. We told her we'd be with her through it all, since Josef wouldn't even know he had a child until he came home. She was counting off the days until he got back, and was so excited that she'd be able to give him the baby he wanted so badly.

In May, we celebrated our first anniversary. Actually, we celebrated twice—the first anniversary was May 16, the day Mick had at last told me he loved me, ending any attempt at our trying to deny how we felt about each other! It was also the anniversary of making Elliot! Mick cooked steaks and baked potatoes on the grill, I made a salad and some vinaigrette dressing, and we celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

By the time we marked our first wedding anniversary, we were also celebrating our new jobs! Kim at the Ford agency, was for real! Mick's test shoot was beautiful, and his first gig was modeling underwear, which was perfect for his beautiful body! I took the baby along to watch the shoot, and toward the end of the shoot, the photographer wanted to take a few pictures of Mick holding Elliot. It ended up that the photos they used for the magazine ads were of Mick holding his beautiful little-look-alike son in his arms, both of them wearing only their underwear. (In this case, Mick wearing the brand-name boxer-briefs, and Elliot wearing his diaper.) It was such a great ad campaign that he began getting offers to screen test for small parts in TV shows, and he was scheduled to do a car commercial in August. His career was really taking off when Kim asked if I would test for an ad selling baby formula! So Elliot and I got to shoot that together! We had a great time! Who knew? I guess they loved that Elliot was so pretty and his blue eyes matched mine, so we looked great together. I was hoping someday we could all be in an ad together! We hired an agent, and he kept Elliot almost as busy as Mick, since everyone said they had rarely seen a baby as pretty as ours! He had dark hair and long dark eyelashes. His face was all Mick's except for his blue eyes—at least he had one feature that I could claim was from me!

We did get back to Mexico again in June, between jobs. This time, we had a housekeeper AND a nanny, and Mick even hired a cook! The nanny was great—she absolutely loved Elliot, and she stayed in the Nanny's quarters, which was handy for when Mick and I went down to the beach every night. We stayed for three weeks, making love in the ocean and on a blanket in the sand and everywhere else we could think of! We had walks and picnics and enjoyed the margaritas and wonderful food made fresh by our cook. Mick was happy to see that I ate like crazy and might have even gained a couple of pounds! He didn't like that all of my new designer clothes were baggy on me!

The night before we returned home, we headed down to the beach, which happened to be glowing in the light of the full moon. Mick had thought to bring his iPod and cordless speakers so we could have music. When he clicked on the music, the first song was "Moondance" by Van Morrison. How appropriate!

"I know this song!" I said as we danced in the sand, Mick singing along.

"How could you possibly know this song! It was out before you were born!"

"I know, but it was in a really great movie called August Rush a couple of years ago! I absolutely love this song!"

"Oh, yeah—I saw that movie one night on HBO! It was pretty sweet."

"Right—it's the story of a little boy trying to find his mom & dad by playing his music! They all end up finding each other and you know they're going to be a happy family!"

I sighed and put my head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart against my ear. "I'm so glad we didn't look any longer than we did for each other because I love being your family. I love you so very much, Mick."

"And I love you more, Beth."

"Do we start this argument again? Or do we just admit we love each other way too much?"

"That works for me!"

He took my hand and twirled me around in the sand, picked me up and twirled me around some more, then set me down and we danced in the light of the rising moon, which shone down on us like a blessing. We both sighed, knowing our life together was truly a blessing--a blessing that transcended this life!  
_  
"Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance  
With the stars up above in your eyes. . ."_

_**The End. . .**_

**EPILOGUE**

Josef was astounded and ecstatic to come home to a red-haired baby girl! He and Sarah were so happy that they got married a couple of months later.

Things seem back to normal now with Josef home again. Mick is having fun with his new career, and he's taking acting lessons. He's already being approached for bit parts, and I think he has a great career ahead of him! In fact, I'm also taking acting lessons! Who knows? We might get to be in something together someday! As long as he doesn't have to play a vampire, I'm okay with it!

Elliot is now two and a half years old, and he's looking forward to the birth of his baby sister, Kaitlyn Elizabeth, in September. Mick and I think we still want another baby or two! We are definitely chasing the years of our lives, just like in the song!

Three months ago we moved into our new house just a little bit north of Malibu. We live on the ocean, so Mick and I can Moondance in the sand whenever we feel like it. The back yard is fenced in, and has a large tree with a tire swing, a play yard for the children, and plenty of bedrooms for friends and family who want to come stay at the beach. We even have a dog! Trevor is a beautiful Weimaraner and loves to body surf! Last week we had a housewarming party, and I snapped several photos which made me gasp when I printed them out. I ran to show Mick.

"Beth—it looks exactly like my dream!"

"I had that dream too, Mick! And look at Robert and Jacob! I didn't recognize them in the dream, but they were there!"

"It's so amazing!" We looked at each other, and I got chills.

Last year, Robert had almost died from a very bad infection that threatened his kidneys, so Mick and I had blood tests to see if we were donor matches, and one thing led to another, and as it all turned out, Mick's DNA was almost identical to Robert's. Mick then had to explain to him how he could be his father, and Robert, although extremely surprised, was overjoyed to have another father, albeit a very young father (!) and to find a grandfather for Jacob, even though Jacob calls him "Uncle Mick."

Robert recovered without needing a kidney, and we spent last Thanksgiving together. Jacob still looks up to Mick as his rescuer, and I, for one, can totally relate to being in awe of Mick St. John, since he saved me too.

We see Ben and Julia fairly often. Their first child is still a baby, but they are completely happy and in love! Simone is still seeking a rich, handsome vampire, we hear.

Mick and I still seem to have one of those odd relationships where the honeymoon never ends! I doubt we'll ever get enough of each other! We'll probably be the only 100-year-olds who are still having hot sex! We discussed it one night on the beach.

"Mick—why is it that I still crave the taste of you on my tongue, and I still want you desperately? Doesn't that ever wear off?"

"I hear there is a way to help it get better."

"Oh really? How? How will we ever learn to keep our hands off of each other? I'm still shamelessly undressing you mentally every time I have a chance!"

He laughed. "I think we'll have to do some more honeymooning. That's supposed to help."

"Well, if it helped, we'd be better by now."

"I think we should just consider every day a honeymoon and not worry about it."

"That works for me," I said as I turned in his arms to kiss him.

"And I'll be glad when Kaitlyn is here," he said, kissing me back, slowly, lazily, possessing my mouth, making me whimper with wanting him.

"Why?" I murmured against his lips. "You're getting eager to see what she looks like?"

"No—I'm already looking forward to making another baby with you. It's just so damn much fun!"

"Ah, I love the way you think, Mick!" And once again, we showed each other just how much we needed this amazing love, this gift, this miracle that was 'US!'

---

Here's a picture of Mick and Beth in Mexico: (Sorry--it's really a cute picture!)

**Author's note:** Here are the links to some of the songs mentioned in my story. I hope you have a chance to listen/see them! (Mick sings "I Will Be Here" in a way that sounds so much like Steven Curtis Chapman! It's amazing!)

The original version of "Moondance" is available on iTunes, but not on YouTube, so I am putting up the link to the very short version that was in the movie, "August Rush." Alex O'Loughlin, by the way, plays a role in that movie! Hah!

Once again, this site doesn't allow links, or at least I can't figure it out if they do, so here are the YouTube tags for these songs:

"Moondance" by Van Morrison: "kollonkuri" (made the vid) tags: "soundtrack" "august rush"

"I Will Be Here" by Steven Curtis Chapman:  
"mytokari" (made the vid) tags: "Will Be Here"

"Forever and Ever Amen" by 8mm:  
"TheCruizer" (made vid) tags: "Moonlight" "Mick" "Beth" "Vampire" "8MM"  
(This one is an actual clip of Moonlight, Episode 2)

I want to express a heartfelt thank-you to my readers at VampSisters and also at Fanfiction dot net. I have absolutely loved all of your comments! It's wonderful to find so many other people all over the world who see Mick and Beth as I do! Thanks for hanging in there for all 200,000 words! Were this a novel, I'd have a LOT of editing to do! Sorry!

Again thank you for reading my story, and I hope someday we can celebrate by seeing Moonlight return to either the small screen or the big one! We fans deserve so much more than the 16 episodes we got! Let's keep hoping! In the meantime, I can sleep now, knowing that Mick and Beth are together—"Forever and Ever Amen." (VampSisters—I'll post that song too!)

--suzee


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